Me and the Penguin Army
by Wild Fox Child
Summary: Ixi recalls a time when unexplained events happened around her. She must work with the YYH gang to find out who she really is through all the chaos, and maybe find something she thought she lost, the abilty to love... Finished
1. Prologue

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, whoever gave you that idea is not a very reliable source of information. I am having this entire story in Ixi's POV, she is telling a story to her niece and nephew.  
  
Prologue: A Rainy Day's Discovery  
  
"Auntie Ixi!" My niece, Chloe, yelled as she ran to my open arms. I picked her up and swung her in a circle before being attacked by Rayden, my nephew. The three of us fell down laughing like idiots. Putting myself in a sitting position to talk to my older sister Aunna as she ran worried to me. "Hey sis, so you will be back around 7 then?" I asked putting Chloe in my lap. "Yeah, if you can handle them for that long." "Of course I can, we're good buddies! Let them stay the night if you need extra time, they got clothes here!" I exclaimed laughing. "Okay if you're sure, see ya Ixi." Aunna waved bye to me as she got into her car.  
  
"So . . whatcha want to do first?" I asked while standing up. They were about to answer when several huge raindrops fell from the sky, and dropped on our heads. "No!" Chloe cried when the rain started pouring from the sky. We ran into the house, covering our heads as the rain came down. "Darn, well we'll just have ta find something inside to do." I commented lightly. "What do you have to do?" Rayden asked. "Uh?" I said thinking. "I probably have some fun junk in my attic." I could see their disappointed faces, I had after all promised to take them into the forest today, on a nature hike. The eggs in the nest we saved a while ago had hatched a few days ago, and they wanted to see them. "Will the baby birdies be okay in the rain, auntie Ixi?" Chloe asked worriedly looking out the window to the forest. "Yeah Chloe they'll be fine. Their parents are very protective over them. Come on, we can explore my attic, there is a bunch of junk in there to get into."  
  
I took their hands and led them up the stairs. The door was jammed because I hadn't been up there in a while, so I had to ram my shoulder into it a few times before it gave way. The three of us coughed with the stirred up dust and I flicked on a light. The space was jammed packed with a bunch of my junk. Upon seeing all the neat stuff jammed in there, Rayden and Chloe took off in exploration. I walked in after them and I heard my name called out at the same exact time. "Auntie Ixi! Come here!" They cried, from the same place and I ran to them. They were standing in front of an old chest. The old woodwork was beautifully engraved. "Yeah, whatcha find?" I asked already knowing what was in the chest. "This box won't open!" Rayden complained, annoyed as usual when things didn't happen right away. I smiled and walked over to the chest. "Well with this chest, you got to give it reason to open." I got blank faces.  
  
"Here I show you." I kicked the chest right where a lock would be, if this chest had one, and the chest's lid clicked open. The two kids finished opening the lid to reveal several sketchbooks, journals, pictures etc . . . from a while ago, all covered in dust. Chloe gingerly picked up a sketchbook and flipped it open. A picture of a boy clad in dark attire stared back at her. "Who's this?" She asked pointing to him. I leaned over, unsure of which book she had withdrawn from the chest. "Oh, Hiei?" I asked surprised. "Who's He-eh?" She asked trying to sound the unfamiliar name out. I smiled, "Well, you would only truly know who he was if you heard the story behind that sketchbook of mine." I said tempting them with a story. "A story?" Rayden asked, "Is it any good?" He never did like stories that much, unless of course they were on TV. "Well it's only good if you like stories with adventure, mystery, magic, life-or-death situations, a entire world unknown to humans, and the thrill of a lifetime." I said, kinda over- selling the story. "There is also monsters in it Rayden." I said to him, the magic had sold Chloe, but the monsters got Rayden hook, line and sinker.  
  
"Okay, where should I begin?" I said sitting down, and taking some other items from the chest, "The beginning I suppose." Rayden and Chloe both sat down too excited from the way I was building it up. "Okay, it all begins my first day of Sarayashiki Public Junior High. As a kid, lots of weird things always seemed to happen around me that couldn't be explained, so we were constantly moving around the country. Well, I had always hated starting over and . . . .  
  
A/N: Well, what do you think of it so far? The next chapter is already in progress because I added the telling of a story element after I started the story but it should actually work out better than before. I promise lots of humor to come, and the YYH gang will be in the next chapter. I mean come on, "Me and the Penguin Army"? What about that tittle does not say humor? Well I hope to update soon and for all of you reading my other stories, I am working on them too, but this came up and I ran with it, so don't worry those will be updated too. Please review. 


	2. 1 Worst Bad Day Ever

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: No, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho's characters. Other characters are mine. Entire story is from Ixi's POV because she is telling a story.  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\ Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \  
  
Rayden and Chloe were waiting for the parts I had promised; both of them wouldn't have long to wait. I continued to speak . . . .  
"Well, it was my first day at the school, and of course a bunch of stuff went wrong, my uniform I needed hadn't come in so I wore my every day clothes to school, that wasn't the worst thing to happen to me that day though . . . ."  
  
Chapter 1 Worst Bad Day Ever!  
  
//Ugh, another month, another school. What is this one? 35 or maybe 36? Oh who knows or cares? // "Good Morning Class, we have a new student today. Her name is Ixiada Dragona. She has been to 37 different schools, please make her feel welcome today. Ixiada is kinda hard to say, do you have a nickname that everybody can call you by?" I got a surprised look on my face before saying, "Uh, just call me Ixi." "Okay Ixi, welcome to Sarayashiki Junior High. I'm Mr. Iwamoto as you already know." //Like I care who you are! Ch! This school isn't any different than the others, suck- up teachers and snobby students. // "Okay Ixi, you can take your seat, it's the third on the far right row." "Sure" I sighed and took my seat. Whispers from behind me just added to my "great" day I was having. "37 schools? Is she like a trouble-maker punk or something that kills everybody who ticks her off?" //Oh God girl, I wish I was, so I could kill you. Prep! // "And look at her clothes, blue tube top, showing her belly like a hooker, white flared pants with a black dragon on only one of the legs, surrounded by blue. White over-shirt, and a single blue glove on her left arm. Black, collar necklace. Is that dyed white hair or natural?" "It must be dyed because her bangs have blue tips." "Jeez, if her blue was black she could be a Goth." I turned around to shut up the preps. "If you got sumthin' to say, talk to my face and not my back!" I whispered fiercely, scaring them with a death glare.  
  
I settled back into my work and the bell soon rang, and I left for 2nd hour. //God this day is going to suck majorly if that was my first period! // Then my books flew out of my hands as a punk looking kid with raven hair was pushed into me. He had a red mark on his face, and a ticked girl flicking her hand to stop the numb feeling from slapping him. "Ch! Look where you're falling kid!" I hissed as I picked up my scattered books. "Urameshi! Apologize to her!" Came the voice of a curly redhead. "It's Keiko's fault Kuwabara! She slapped me and I fell!" Urameshi yelled back. Keiko got angry red in her face, "It's your own fault, you perverted boy!" "Hn, whatever I don't care, just give my the schedule back Ura-whatever!" I said while I snatched the paper from his grasp. "Hey, you got a problem or something girl?" The raven-haired boy asked ticked. "Yeah I do, YOU!" I snapped at him before heading to my next class.  
  
//Jeez, I hate new schools, everybody treats me like trash or ignore me or GRRRR! I hate moving! // The warning bell rang and I ran to class. I walked up to Mr. Akashi, the teacher, and handed him the piece of paper saying I was new blah, blah, load of crab. "Ah, yes Ixiada, how good of you to join our class. Your seat is right there." I sat where he pointed and waited for the bell to ring to start class. BRING!! It rang and two students came waltzing in a few seconds later. "Urameshi! Kuwabara! Tardy again are we?" //Oh God no, not the two baka bakas from the hall. Lord this is going to be a living nightmare! // "Hey, it's not our fault, we were held up by a girl in the hall." The raven-haired kid exclaimed. "Alright, a warning this time you two. Now sit!" They took their seats, unfortunately the raven-haired boy was right behind me.  
Luck for me he didn't do anything, and 2nd and 3rd hours passed without any hitch. Yeah, everything was fine until the ten-minute break between 3rd and 4th hour. I went to go to my locker, but I must've taken a wrong turn or something because I wound up in a dead-end hallway. There was only one classroom, and it looked like it hadn't been used in years, the desks were ancient and covered in dust. That was all I really saw looking through the streaked door window. I went to turn around but felt like there was something in that class. I turned the knob, expecting it to be locked, but it turned easily even though it was ancient. The door opened and a bunch of dust was kicked into my face. I covered my mouth and coughed, but walked on. I had plenty of time, break had just started.  
  
The room looked like an old science room, dust covered beakers and other equipment emphasized the old. "Hmm, this is interesting." I said as I looked on the teacher's desk. An old book covered in dust was lying open on the desk. Funny thing was, it wasn't a science book. I held the place with my finger and looked on the cover, "Makai: A Guide to the Demon Realm." "Makai? What kind of name is that?" I flipped back to the opened page. It was a detailed description on a demon thief named Yoko. "Okay?" I flipped the page, and a beautiful picture of a silver fox and a guy with silver hair and fox ears shocked me. "Wow, what a looker. Those ears are different though." I was so involved in looking in the rest of the book, I didn't hear the door shut and lock by itself. "Hmm, Passage to Makai, the detailed guide to get to the demon world." I read aloud. I continued to read the page aloud, one of my habits, and when I looked up I wasn't in Kansas anymore to put it simply.  
  
I was surrounded by forest, and there was no classroom. I still had the book, the only thing to say I was actually in the room. "Okay then? Maybe it's a dream; yeah I got so bored reading someone's fantasy that I fell asleep without realizing it. Heh, right and pigs fly. God how did I get here?" I looked around; the forest was pretty enough, the kinda place you go for a picnic, but the last time I checked, I was NOT on a picnic. "HELLO!?" I yelled into the deep forest, getting no reply but my own echo, or maybe not. "Hello little girl, lost are we?" The snake-like voice appeared from behind me, and I spun around to see a guy, but he was green and looked more like a snake. "Uh no, just enjoying the scenery here, nice place. //Okay, my day just got weirder. // "You?" I asked back, backing up slightly. "No, I wouldn't be lost in my own forest!" It exclaimed proudly. "Uh, and what a nice forest it is!" I exclaimed, overly praising it to get away. //No one is going to believe me when I tell them this! // "I try to keep it that way, but trespassers always seem to mess it up." It hissed out. //That's not a good thing. I think it thinks I'm a trespasser. God, no one will believe this, that is, if I survive to tell it. //  
  
The snake thing advanced slowly, and I backed up quickly. Then a thundering crash sounded and an ogre looking thing came crashing into view, urge to kill on its face. "Get out of my territory you lumbering oaf!" The snake thing hissed, the ogre thing ignored it. "You're coming with me girl!" it yelled in a deep voice pointing a spiked club at me. //Wait a minute, me? God what did I get myself into? // "Uh. I think you got the wrong girl, and besides, I don't go anywhere with strangers, just like my mommy always told me." I gave a fake innocence in my voice, trying to get out of this. "Nope you're the girl, and you don't have a choice in the matter!" The voice bellowed out, this is where I began running. The snake thing got out of the ogre things way as it lumbered after me.  
  
As I ran I thought I saw a shadow in the trees running along side me, but when I blinked to recheck, nothing! I came to a river and stopped. It's way too wide and turbulent for me to get across in one piece that's for darn sure. //Oh God, I'm going to die! \\ I screamed in my head so as not to show the creature weakness. Then the shadowy thing I thought I saw earlier soared through the treetops to right in front of me. It turned out to be a boy, short with spiky black hair. His back was to me so I couldn't see his face, but he had a long black coat thing that ended around his ankles. I saw a sword glittering in the sun in his hands. He took a fighting stance and in the blink of an eye he vanished. Seconds later the ogre froze in its chase and burst to a million bloody pieces. I backed up and tripped. Landing on my butt I saw shadow boy appear a second later on the other side of the heap of bloody pieces.  
  
He swung his sword in the air, flicking the blood and guts off it and he clicked it into its sheath. He turned and faced me; his eyes were a dark red, and full of anger. I hadn't realized it, but the one of the ogre's attacks had broken some wood that had hit me hard in the side. I clutched my bleeding side and watched shadow boy. //Great, I'm going to die, and by someone who is smaller than me. God how did I get myself into this mess? // I crawled backwards a few feet before pain in my side made me stop and rest. By now my side was completely red with my own blood, the blood loss was making my head spin. //No, must keep focused. Will not let myself die in a world of make-believe because of some stupid book! // Shadow boy came closer and with the pain in my side I couldn't get away. Involuntarily I felt myself shaking in fear. //No, I won't show him fear! Who am I kidding? I'm ready to pass out from fear right now! Oh God, I'm going to die, and what's worse, this guy just killed the last thing that tried to kill me! // I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, and out of pure reflex I swung my hand around and whacked the thing in the face.  
  
But also out of reflex I used my right hand, the hand I had used to hold over my wound on the left side of my stomach. I turned with the force of my blow and saw a redheaded boy about my age clutching his face, which had a lovely bloody handprint on it. He turned to look at me, surprise in his green eyes. I backed up but forgot that shadow boy was there, and I backed into him. He growled in annoyance but did nothing, thank God. "Kurama, is she the one?" Shadow boy asked to the redhead Kurama. Kurama kneeled down so that we were at eye level. I blankly stared into his green eyes. "Yes, I do believe she is Hiei." Kurama said standing up. "Well that would explain how a nigen with no spirit energy got into Makai." Shadow boy Hiei replied looking down at me. I tilted my head up and looked back, now curious. His eyes soon looked elsewhere. //Makai? So that book was about a real place. Freaky, hey wait! Where is the book? // I quickly looked all around where I was sitting and found no book. //But that stupid thing came with me! Where did it go? // Then I realized the two boys were staring at me. Before anyone could comment on my behavior I heard an unfamiliar tinkling of a charm bracelet I do not own.  
  
The silver bracelet was clasped around my left hand, and it had a book looking charm on it. That was the only charm. I examined the charm, and found it to look just like the book. I grasped it carefully in my fingers to take a closer look, and as soon as I did that the book was in my lap, and the charm was gone. "Freaky." I whispered while leafing through the book, much to the curious eyes of Hiei and Kurama. I looked at one of the pages and low and behold HIEI was the tittle. This attracted Hiei's attention. "Hiei Jaganshi, fire apparition, native of Koorime, brother to Yukina ice apparition. Master swordsmen, with incredible speeds, wit and power. Poses the Jagan eye which gives him the attacks Dragon of the Darkness Flame, Fist of the Mortal Flame, Dragon of the Darkness Sword . . ." I trailed off after reading aloud the first few sentences.  
  
Before I could react Hiei snatched the book from my lap and read over what I read aloud. "Hey you creep give it back!" I yelled standing up. "Make me!" Hiei snapped back. Picture electric bolts between our eyes. I stood there in fury, nobody, and I mean nobody steals from me, I don't care who they are or what they just did a few minutes ago. "I said GIVE IT!" I screamed and the book began glowing blue in his hands. It rose up and flew to my hands. Stepping back surprised I dropped it and the book flipped open to a page titled KURAMA. This caught the redhead's attention. He walked over to the book and picked it up reading silently the page. "Where did you get this?" He asked as I stood hand open for the book. "None of your beeswax!" I snapped.  
  
Surprisingly enough he shrugged and handed the book back to me. I snatched it back and began to walk away from them. "Where do you think you're going?" Hiei said in an icy tone. "Why do you care?" I snapped at him not stopping. I heard a whooshing sound and a second later Hiei was right in front of me. I stepped back shocked. "What the?" I said in shock. Before he could answer my question another thunderous crashing sound cut him off. A huge dog with three heads slowly walked towards us, its three heads angled low to the ground, snarling. The book in my hands opened up on its own and flipped to a page entitled CERBERUS. "It's a Cerberus?" I questioned aloud as I read down the page. "Dog demon type, in nigen mythology it's said to guard the gates to Hades. Fire types are the most dangerous. Poisonous saliva from its three mouths makes it very dangerous to fight. WHAT!?" I yelled out loud. I turned and saw Hiei walk forward, sword out. "You're going to fight this thing?" I exclaimed. He simply chuckled and smiled while he took off a white bandana on his forehead, revealing a third eye. //That's not normal. // I simply watched. Then a bandage on his right arm began to disappear as though something was burning it off. A black dragon tattoo was wound around his arm. //A black dragon? But that's just like . . There's just no way that he could . . . // I was unwilling to finish my sentences. Kurama grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side as Hiei took a strange stance.  
  
A/N: Ta-da Cliffie! I'm betting all my chappies are going to end with cliffies. Please review. 


	3. 2 Run Away

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: I own a Yu Yu Hakusho Manga/Graphic Novel vol. 1, that is all.  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\ Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \ *~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 2 Run Away  
  
The extra eye Hiei had began to glow, then my vision went all funny, like I was looking through glasses with blue lenses. As I looked around everything was in blue tint, then I heard it, a strange voice. / "Guide the black dragon!" / I looked around with my blue vision and saw nobody other than Kurama and Hiei. Again the voice cried out. / "Hurry before it's too late! Control the black Dragon, lest you all perish!"/ //What? Okay already, what do I do?" // / "Focus on the black scar on Hiei's arm."/ //Okay? I'll try. // And so I did, and on an impulse I removed my glove revealing a bluish scar resembling Hiei's black dragon. I felt Kurama step back in surprise. He was saying something to me but I didn't hear him, I was focusing on the black dragon on Hiei's arm.  
  
Then Hiei launched the black dragon at the Cerberus, but he looked at it surprised. It had come out with blue rings around it. The Dragon of the Darkness Flame soared to the Cerberus and the giant demon dog was destroyed on impact. But instead of vanishing like it usually did once the attack was over the black dragon remained. Hiei stepped back as the dragon approached him. The huge dragon was barely a foot away from him before it stopped and looked my way. My blue vision had begun to fade and I saw the dragon slowly soar over to me. I looked at it curiously as it stopped a foot away from me. Kurama had gone over to see if Hiei was okay. I looked into the eyes of the dragon, heart beating like a hummingbird's. Slowly I reached out a hand and stopped it an inch from the dragon's snout. The blue energy surrounding it slowly started to move towards my hand and off the dragon. When the last bit was off it, the black dragon vanished and the blue energy started taking form.  
  
The energy had started taking the form of a blue dragon, but this one had wings instead of the long slinky serpentine the black dragon had been. The image roared before vanishing in the same manner of the black dragon. "Okay, to you I might sound stupid, but what just happened?" I asked in a shocked voice. Kurama helped Hiei walk over to me, "Uh?" He said looking at Hiei who just shrugged as he tried to stand. "I've never seen anything like that, my dragon has never come out with blue rings around it, nor stayed after it destroyed what it was called to destroy." Hiei said. I looked over to him and Kurama; Hiei looked in really bad shape. Kurama glanced at me curiously but when I returned his glance he looked to the side as if looking at me was dangerous.  
  
I shrugged it off and pulled the glove back up my arm, but not before Hiei got a good look at it. "What is that?" He said watching it disappear under the glove. "Uh, nothing. Just a scar from me doing something stupid as a kid." I said in a rushed voice, which made him give me a skeptical look, fortunately he didn't press the matter, nor did Kurama. I stood up and began to walk away from them, looking at my newly acquired charm bracelet. The book charm was back on there. I could hear their footsteps, following me so I broke into a run. I still don't know why I ran, probably because whenever something strange happened we had to move. //Why does all this stuff have to happen to me? I never asked to be a freak! // I screamed in my head, running faster from an invisible enemy, my fears and myself.  
  
I kept running, the footsteps of Kurama were no longer audible, so I thought I had lost him. I looked around and stopped running. I was lost. // Great, I'm just genius of the year, I ran away from people willing to help me in a place I have no clue how to get around in! Yes, I get genius of the year. Oh God, why does my life always go wrong whenever it looks like I can lead a normal life? // I sat down on the roots of one of the huge trees and brought my knees under my chin staring out into the strange world. I started to play with the charm bracelet. "So . . . Are you ready to go back to your world?" Came the familiar voice of Kurama. He came into view and stooped down so our eyes connected. I just blankly stared back at him.  
  
He smiled and took my hand so the both of us stood up. I saw Hiei walk towards us. "Hiei, are you going to stay here then?" "Yes, I see what I can find then I'll contact you." Kurama nodded. I watched Hiei vanish in a split second, which left me blinking to see if my eyes were okay. "Wow, he's fast." I said. "Yes, he is." Kurama put his hand on my injured side and I felt a warm sensation. I looked down and the only trace that I was hurt was the dried blood on my clothes, which also disappeared. He smiled at my surprised expression and he led me forward. I blinked and I found myself in the same dusty classroom. Kurama was nowhere to be seen, but there was a beautiful red rose in the place of his hand.  
  
Smiling I heard a bell ring and I rushed out of the room. I looked around at the mass of students; everybody was grabbing coats and backpacks. //School must be over already. // I thought as I pushed my way through the crowd to my locker. I finally got to my locker and forced it open. I grabbed my books and went to apologize to all my teachers for skipping class. //Yeah, they'll believe me when I tell them I went to a world called Makai full of demons and other strange creatures. *Mental sigh* // I was about to open the door of the class that I would have went to for 4th hour when the door opened and the three kids I had run into in the hall came out. "So that's why Ixi wasn't present for her first day, thank you for excusing her." The girl, Keiko, said waving to the teacher as she walked out the door. "Oh hey Ixi." She said brightly. "Uh, Hi?" I said confused. "Don't worry all your teachers excused your absence." I simply stared blankly. "Kurama told us all about the accident about you getting into . . Makai" She whispered the last part. 'How do you know-?" Yusuke grabbing my arm and dragging me to the gates of the school cut me off. "Don't ask to many questions yet. I promise everything will be explained to you."  
  
We kept walking and eventually I found myself in park. I was dragged to a secluded spot where we obviously wouldn't be over heard. I looked around once I was seated and the next thing I saw was Kurama. In the flesh and in my world. After that I blacked out.  
  
*~*  
"You blacked out!?" Rayden exclaimed. I chuckled, "Yes, and you probably would too. A lot of things happened to me that day." He got a funny look on his face a mixture of surprise, embarrassment, and disbelief. "Those weren't the only monsters in the story were they?" He asked to change the subject. "Well you would find out if I continued wouldn't you?" I taunted him, "So may I continue or do you have more questions?" "No go ahead." "Okay, as I said I blacked out . . ."  
  
*~*  
I groggily opened my eyes looking around, the first face I saw was Kurama and I shut my eyes again. //This is just a black out dream, Kurama doesn't exist, nor does Hiei or anything else I saw today when I blacked out in that classroom. Yep just a dream, kids and our over active imaginations, too much sugar, cartoons and video games for me. So when I open my eyes Kurama won't be there. // I opened my eyes and low and behold there was the same green-eyed, redheaded boy from my strange experience of today. "So much for that theory." I mumbled sitting up and looking around. I rubbed my head and fell back into somebody. I looked up to the lap I had laid my head in. The curly redhead uttered a laugh until my fist flew up slamming into his bottom jaw.  
  
"You find something funny?" I hissed as he did the just-got-whacked- in-the-jaw-by-Ixi-dance. "No, not at all." He uttered as he fell over. I rolled my eyes and stood up about to walk away. "Where are you going?" Yusuke asked. "Home, my parents are probably worried sick and enough junk has happened to me for them to melt down even if I'm half an hour late." "They won't worry about you, we gave them a call to tell them you would be with some new friends for most of the evening." A blue haired girl said as she walked into view. "Listen, you FREAKS might find that little imaginary world of yours fascinating, but I would rather force today from my memory just like all the other stupid stuff that I've had to live through for my entire life. So bye." I waved and was about to leave when Hiei suddenly appeared in front of me. "STOP DOING THAT AND GET OUT OF MY WAY SHRIMP!" I screamed at him. "What if I don't want to?" He taunted me.  
  
I tried to punch that stupid smirk off his face but before my fist reached his face he caught it and forced me back. I stepped back with the force but drew his attention off my right hand. I then proceeded to sucker punched the side of his face. Before he could regain the focus to stop me, I took off. I kept running, and I thought it was strange they didn't follow. I eventually slowed as I reached our apartment. I took out my key and let myself in. "Hello sweetie, how was your day?" Came my mom's voice from the kitchen. "Stupid." I muttered so she couldn't hear me. "How are your new friends?" "They aren't my friends mom. If they ever call here again alert the police." My mom's head popped out of the door of the kitchen, "What! Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?" She asked running out of the kitchen to see if I was all right. "I'm fine mom they didn't do anything but they aren't my friends. I don't have any friends."  
  
My mom gave me a look of sympathy as I ran to my room and slammed the door. I looked to the unopened boxes and opened one of them. I looked through everything in there and found a new sketchbook. In the cover was a note from Kyle. 'Ixi, don't ever lose that fire in your eyes, that passion with your pen, or that love in your heart. With all my love, Kyle.' He had given it to me barely a week before the accident. I never saw him after that. Before I could stop myself tears began to fall down my cheeks. I buried my head in my pillow and let them fall. I heard a small knock on my door, "Ixi, sweetie, there is a boy named Kurama hear to return something you dropped." My mom's soft voice cried from behind the shut door. I sat up on my bed and wiped the tears from my eyes. "Tell him to beat it and leave me alone!" I screamed. I ran over to the door and locked it. I slid down the door and listened to the conversation between my Mom and Kurama. "I'm sorry about that." "No it's okay, I think I sort of scared her today when we met. Here she dropped this in the park." "Thank you." I heard the main door click as Kurama left. My mom softly knocked on my door. "Here sweetie, he gave me this. It's your locket." I opened the door and snatched the locket from her hand; I slammed the door in her face and relocked the door.  
  
I heard my mom silently sigh and walk back to the kitchen. I grabbed a book bag and stuffed it full of clothes, and treasured items. Once that was filled I grabbed the sketchbook and an extra pair of shoes. I went out on my balcony after writing a note to my mom. I looked down to the ground. // Two stories, not a big jump. // I climbed down the iron railing and as silent and graceful as a cat, fell to the balcony below me. I did the same to reach the ground. I adjusted the heavy bag on my back and began to walk. I took one final look to the apartment, and my past before speeding up. I put on some sunglasses and looked on a map of the city. Suddenly I felt like I was being watched and I looked up. Nobody peculiar stood out so I looked back to my map, again I felt like I was being watched, so I began to walk.  
  
A/N: Not as much Humor as there is going to be but every story needs to start somewhere.  
  
To Miny Mars: Thank you for being my first reviewer. I promise not to leave it in suspense if it can be helped. 


	4. 3 Artistic Talent

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: I do NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\ Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \ *~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 3 Artistic Talent  
  
*~* "You ran away?" Chloe asked. "Why?" Rayden asked. "Well, a lot of things had happened to me by then and at 14 this was the best thing I could think of doing. Stupid yes, but not without good reason."  
  
*~*  
I readjusted my backpack full of my things and quickly began to walk. By now I knew someone was following me. I looked up to the tops of the buildings and I swore I saw a shadow running with me. //That looks like Hiei! // I thought as I ran. //Why won't they just leave me alone!? // I wasn't looking where I was traveling and I ran into somebody. I fell on me butt and looked up to the person I ran into. "Sorry." I muttered as I stood up. "So you're going to run away?" Kurama's green eyes met my blue ones. My surprised look turned into a death glare. "BUG OFF!" I screamed and ran off. I felt the same presence following me. I looked up again, but this time nothing. I looked ahead of me and slid to a stop. I didn't stop in time and I rammed into Hiei. He grabbed my arm so I didn't fall.  
  
Instead of letting go after I got up, Hiei gripped my arm tighter in my attempt to get away. Kurama, Yusuke and Botan came running into view, soon followed by Keiko and Kuwabara. There was also a young girl with gorgeous aqua hair with Keiko and Kuwabara. "Hn! Lemme GO!" Hiei just rolled his eyes at my attempts to escape. "Come on, we have to talk to you in private." Yusuke said in a serious tone. I couldn't get out of Hiei's grip so I walked along, resisting pretty much every step of the way. I was eventually led to an old and dusty apartment, seemingly abandoned.  
  
"Okay listen Ixi, "Yusuke started, "We have recently found out that several strong demon gangs in Makai are after you. Don't ask why, because we don't know yet. All we know is they are after you and they are willing to do anything to get to you. We have been given orders to protect you by our boss." Yusuke paused to let this sink in. I sat there speechless. "Uh . . . eh." I tried to come up with an answer for them. "Well, every since I was little a lot of weird accidents happened around me that always went unexplained." I offered the only thing that seemed related to this topic.  
  
I took my backpack off and opened it. I took out a manila envelope and handed it to Kurama who was the closest other than Hiei, who I doubt cared. Kurama took it and opened it, pulling out several newspaper clippings. "Huh?" He said as he read over them. "That's what the newspapers reported after each event that went unexplained happened, as soon as my mother saw them we would move." I softly whispered. I brought my knees up under my chin and looked over the group reading each article. Hiei seemed to be the only one uninterested in the articles. He had taken a seat by the windowsill and hadn't moved since. I wanted to ask him a question but I was just too scared right now. The scar on his arm, the one that symbolizes the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, resembled the scar I had gotten during one of the unexplained accidents.  
  
In fact, it was the one where Kyle died or at least disappeared. As I thought about that night, hot tears began forming in the back of my eyes. I sighed and tried recalling the details of that night. It was rainy; we had just come from one of my concerts. I had recently joined a band and was their main vocal and guitar player. Since I couldn't drive, Kyle had gotten his older brother Marcus to drive us both there on the condition he got a free ticket and a kiss from me. He was always joking with us and we could pretty much get him to do anything for a kiss from me. The concert went fine, nice turn out and a perfect performance. What was better, the rain had come after the concert was done. About half way through the after party the plink, plink of raindrops were heard on the roof. Soon after, crashes of thunder were heard. That's when we decided to get going, Kyle, Marcus, and me because we had the farthest to go. Everything was fine until we were out in the stage area. Then the storm began to get weird. Lightning struck center stage but instead of being electrocuted the lightning fanned out in a black web pattern. It began to take form, how was the unexplained portion of it. However it happened, the lightning took the form of a dragon and it attacked the three of us. Marcus pulled me to safety but Kyle got trapped. I never saw him again. The lightning has singed my skin and left that scar.  
  
"Hello? Earth to Ixi!" Kuwabara's hand waved in front of my face and I shook my head, snapping to attention. "W-what?" I saw a cell phone in Kurama's hand. "Call your mom, tell her that you'll stay the night at a friend of yours tonight." I took the phone and silently dialed the number. I put it up to my ear, the ringing echoing in my head. "Hey Aunna? Is mom there?" My sister replied, "No why?" "Tell her I'll be staying with my friends at their house tonight and tomorrow. And tell her I have clothes and stuff, so she doesn't need to bring anything for me." "Okay bye Ixi." "Bai." The phone clicked off and I pulled it down from my ear. The envelope had been refilled and I put it back in my bag, and stood up.  
  
"Let's go." I said, and they led me a while through the city until we came to an ancient temple. An old lady that barely came to my waist walked out. She had grayish pink hair and brown eyes. The funniest looking thing I have seen followed her. It was blue, with two long flaps like ears that it used as wings, it had black hair on its forehead. "AWE! IT'S SOOOOOOOOO KAWAII!!!!" I screamed as it approached. I grabbed it hugging it like a stuffed animal. "Hey! Not so hard on Puu now, he's not a plushy." The old lady said. "Awe Puu, what a cute name!" I looked over to Yusuke who looked ready to explode. "Yeah, yeah, we all heard how cute the little booger is." He muttered stomping into the temple. "Huh?" I asked watching him stomp off. "I'll explain later." Kurama whispered in my ear. "Oh k' then?  
  
I followed them into the temple and was led to the room I could stay in for a few days. I dropped my stuff in the corner and looked around the room. The group left and I pulled out one of my drawing books. I made my way through the halls to the outside garden I had seen on my way in. I took a seat by some foreign looking flowers, mostly likely from Makai, so I didn't touch them. I took out one of my pencils and began to draw. I had this gift to draw anything around me and have it look like it was alive on the paper. I put my pencil lead on the paper thinking of what to draw. The dragons came into my mind first, but what to draw them doing. Hiei and his attack came next. "I think I can work with that." I whispered to no one in particular and I began to draw.  
  
"What are you doing?" Hiei had appeared behind me, shocking me from my spaced out state. I pulled the picture close to my chest to hide it from him. It was almost done, but I thought it looked stupid, he would too probably. I was my own worst critic. He snatched it from me and looked at it with a blank face. "Hey!" I said, pink blush creeping on my cheeks. "You did this?" I pulled my knees under my chin, not answering his question. Surprisingly he handed the book back to me without comment. I looked it over. I had drawn Hiei in the stance to release the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, but the dragon was in a circle behind him, its mouth opened in a snarl. The other blue dragon from today was faded as a background. I put my hand in the corner of the paper to rip it out of the book and then to a million pieces but Hiei's bandaged hand was placed on mine. "Don't, it's good." I looked up blushing. "No, I can't draw." "Says you." //Wow Hiei is actually being nice! \\ / "There is more to him than what is visible." \ //Not you again! Who are you and why are you in my head!? \\ / ". . . ." \ //Grrr, answer! \\ Silence only met my question.  
  
"What else can you draw?" Hiei asked in place of the silence. "Uh, whatever pops into my head I can usually put on paper more or less." Hiei didn't respond, his eyes were still on the picture. "So why did you draw me?" I had to think about that one. "Uh, well I was going to draw the dragons alone but I needed a focusing point to bring them together, and you seemed to be the best choice since both the dragons were your attack . . ." I trailed off. "No, only this dragon is mine." He said pointing to the black serpentine dragon. "Oh, well then what was that other dragon?" Hiei shrugged and sat down. "Draw something else." He commanded. "Since when do I take orders from you? I'm sorry I didn't get that memo." I teased and jumped up. Running through the garden was fun, until of course Hiei appeared right in front of me, for the zillionth time. "Will you stop doing that!?" I exclaimed slightly out of breath. "Since when do I take orders from you? I never got that memo." He teased me back with my own line. "Well are we just little mister copy cat?"  
  
He smiled and vanished again for the zillionth time. I walked back to the spot where my sketchbook was and it was gone. "Hey!" I exclaimed running to the spot where I left it. I looked around. "Really I wasn't joking this is good, these too." I heard Hiei and I looked above me. He was in a tree above me with three of my sketchbooks. "Hey! You're a little thief, give them!" I yelled holding out my hand. He acted like he didn't hear me. I walked over to the tree and repeated myself. Still he ignored me, flipping through the pages. I grabbed hold of a branch and climbed up, but when I was close enough to reach him he jumped higher. "HEY!" I yelled. My hand went up to grab the next branch up, but as soon as it began supporting my weight, it snapped and I fell to the ground. Before I hit the dirt and hand firmly grasped my wrist. Hiei had me in one hand, my sketchbooks in the other. "You're a klutz, you know that?" "Yep, since the day I was born. What's you point?" Hiei laughed and pulled me up. I snatched the books from his hand. "Thank you." Then I jumped down and landed like a cat on the ground. I took off at a dead run to the temple, closely pursued by Hiei, but he was only playing with me.  
  
I reached the temple and scrambled into the hallways. I chanced a look back; Hiei was a few feet away from me. Before I could look ahead of me so I didn't run into anything, I collided with somebody. I fell hard on my butt and Hiei who couldn't stop in time was also thrown back. Sliding back into him I looked to see who I hit. Kurama was also on the floor with a surprised look on his face. My three sketchbooks were lying near him; two of them open to products of my creative fire. Rubbing his head, Kurama gingerly picked the nearest book up. I was still trying to focus so I couldn't stop him from flipping through it. "Hey!" Regaining focus I lunged forward, snatching the two books up and holding out my hand for the third. "You're a really good artist Ixi." Kurama said, handing the book to me. "No I'm not." I gently held the books running down the hall to my room. "She really is, why does she deny it?" I could hear Kurama ask Hiei, but by the time Hiei answered I was out of earshot.  
  
An hour later a soft knock on my door from Yukina brought me out of my drawing space out. "Dinner is ready if you're hungry." I quickly put the sketchbook behind my back. "Uh, sure be there in a sec." Yukina smiled and left. I put my sketchbook on my bed and went out the hall. Yukina wasn't too far so I ran to catch up with her. A few feet later, the most delicious smell was coming from the dining room. "Mmmmmmm, it smells delicious!" I exclaimed. Yukina blushed and smiled. "Oh that would be dinner." "Really, I get to eat that delicious smelling food!" I ran the rest of the way to the dining room. Everybody was already there, waiting for me I guess to start. Hiei and Kurama were in deep discussion about something and unfortunately I was forced to sit next to them. "Ixi I never knew you could draw so well!" Keiko exclaimed. "W-what?" I stuttered surprised.  
  
I looked over to Kurama who was showing a picture to her. "YOU LITTLE THIEF!" I yelled and lunged towards him. Yusuke and Hiei grabbed me by the waist so I didn't rip his head off. "What?" Keiko asked confused. "You should show them your other drawings Ixi." Kurama said leaning away from my hands that were trying to reach his eyes. "OVER MY DEAD BODY!" "That can be arranged." I heard Hiei mutter. I pulled back calming down once Kurama handed the picture back. "Listen, I don't know why you people think I can, but I can't draw. Excuse me." I stood up from the table and walked to my room without touching the delicious food on my plate.  
  
Once to my room, I gently closed the door and looked to the several sketchbooks on my bed. I picked one out with the tittle of "Kyle" and gingerly leafed through the pages. "No, I can't draw." I looked to the open page. To some it looked, as real as a photo of the blond haired, blue eyed teen boy, but to me it was just a reminder of the past, something I had run from my entire life. I heard a soft knock on the door and I flipped closed the book as Kurama entered. I pulled my knees under my chin and watched him walk towards me. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly, his green eyes filled with concern. I handed him the book entitled "Kyle". He flipped through it silently. "Who is he?" "His name was Kyle." "Was?" "Yeah, he died a few years ago." Kurama looked down as he closed the book without finishing it. "If you need to talk to someone, I'm always here." He got up and silently left the room.  
  
A/N: I got a zillion sketchbooks at home too. My mom says I should plant a tree. ^-^ Hope you like it so far, if you do Review and tell me why and I'll try and have more of that. If you don't then Review and tell me why and I'll see if I can have less of that. Either way, you gotsta review ^_^ make me feel good inside. 


	5. 4 Japanese ManEating Cricket

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Stop your futile attempts to inflate my head because of an ego. I do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho. There, Hmp!  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\ Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \ *~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 4 Japanese Man-eating Cricket  
  
*~* I paused to take a deep breath. "Here, this is the actual picture I drew of the Dragons and Hiei." I took out a different book and flipped it to the first page. It was smeared and faded a little from the time I had drawn it. "Cool, you really are a good artist auntie Ixi." Chloe exclaimed as she laid eyes on the drawing. "Want to get back to the story?" "YEAH!" They cried in unison. "Okay, the next day . . ."  
  
*~*  
I opened my eyes to stare at the garden. It was the next day; a Saturday so there was no school. I had already called my mom to tell her where I was, that I was okay blah, blah. My sketchbook was open to a blank page. I wanted to draw one of the Makai flowers but I couldn't get a focus point. When I draw I try to have and object that represents a person. Like the Dragon picture, the dragons were a representation of Hiei in a manner I had seen him. I had drawn my mom with a beautiful flower on the side, my sister with a stack of books. Kyle with a dog in the background, Marcus with a lip print. Not all my pictures were like this, but my first pictures of people almost always was in this style. It was for later reference so I knew what kind of pictures I could have these people in.  
  
"Hmm, little foreign flower who dust thou remind me of?" I asked it in a cheesy Shakespearean accent. "You're talking to a plant?" Came a voice form behind me. Hiei appeared. "Well I would rather talk to something that's alive like this flower than talk to you and talk to a brick wall." I teasingly snapped. He is either a really good actor or thought I was serious. "I'm a brick wall?" Hiei asked. I gave him a skeptical look but no answer; I simply went back to staring at the flower. Hiei walked over to me and looked at my blank page. I sighed out loud and Hiei's gaze turned from the blank page to me. He shrugged and walked over to his tree and jumped into it. He settled in a spot where he could see my picture and still be comfortable.  
  
I looked up at him and saw him close his eyes. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully until Yukina walked out of the temple and into the garden. He opened his eyes to watch her but nothing else. //Hey wait! The book mentioned something about Yukina in Hiei's section. \\ I looked at the book charm on my bracelet. I looked at it and it suddenly became the book again. I absentmindedly flipped through the pages and soon found HIEI. I read down the page silently for a change and low and behold Brother to Yukina was one of the entries on the page. //Hmm, they don't act like siblings. \\ I read down and I saw it say something about him not telling her about the secret. //Okay? That's not something I would keep as a secret, but everybody's got his or her reasons. \\ I sighed and the book changed back to the charm.  
  
Since I had nothing in particular to draw I let the pencil flow freely in a doodle. When I looked back at what I was doodling I looked like a rose. I shrugged and drew Kurama next to the rose. //Ta-da another bad picture! \\ I announced in my head. "I'm flattered." Came Kurama's voice from behind me. "Is it just me or do people around here like to sneak up on me?" I asked resting my head in my hand. "I think it's just you." He teased. I sighed loudly and Kurama sat next to me. I tapped my pencil's eraser on the picture, bored. "So Hiei and Yukina are brother an- "He told you?" Kurama broke me off so as not to let Yukina hear me. "No, but there is this handy fossil of a book that turns into a charm on my wrist." Kurama just looked at me. I looked back up to Hiei; he was still watching Yukina. My lips curled in a devious smile as a plan formed in my head.  
  
I put my finger to my lip, motioning Kurama to be quiet and I slowly crept to the tree. Even quieter I scrambled up the back of the tree. Once he was in arm's length I forcibly pushed him forward. Since he was caught off guard he fell forward, and then he landed on the ground with a defined thud. He rubbed his head as Yukina's surprised look turned to one of concern. "Hiei are you okay!?" She exclaimed as she ran the two feet he had landed away from her. Before Hiei could look up I had scuttled back to my seat next to Kurama. "You do know you're next on my hit-list." I gave him a cunning smile to his surprised look. "Not very grateful are you Ixi?" He asked, trying to get out of being next. "Nope." My smile got bigger at his attempts.  
  
I stood up grabbing my book and taking off. I risked a look back; Hiei was still sort of stunned on the ground with Yukina worriedly checking over him, Kurama was just giving me a look of surprise. I chuckled to myself. Then I slowed; my vision was going all bluish again. I stopped completely stopped and dropped to my knees, a strange headache seeping into my head. / "They are coming, prepare yourself!" \ //Who are you? And what is coming? \\ Silence again reached my questions. "Grrrrrrr!" I cried out loud. Then the sky began to darken. "No!" The night that Kyle vanished flashed into my head, replaying the memory. Then I felt a hand on my arm, pulling me up. I looked around and saw nothing but immense blue. I couldn't see or hear the world around me. I felt myself being pulled along by a strong hand but I resisted. I fought it harder and in a split second the hand vanished. Nobody had removed his or her hand, it had been burnt off, but the fire didn't burn my skin, or maybe it did, I couldn't feel anything. / "Do you wish for my help?" \ //Yes \\ I screamed in my head as my scarred hand began to feel like it was burning. That was the last thing I could remember the blue soon became black as I fainted.  
  
Slowly, my eyes opened. The images surrounding me were blurred and unclear. "Ixi?" I heard a voice calling my name. It sounded familiar but I couldn't place it. "Ixi?" The voice called again and I shut my eyes. "Kurama, is she going to be okay? What happened out there?" Came yet another familiar voice. "I'm not sure what happened, the sky darkened, several demons appeared. One of them grabbed hold of Ixi, but he let go, crying something about burning. Then there was a huge flash of blue light and a blue dragon, similar to the one we'd seen in Makai, appeared and killed all the demons in one attack." Silence crept over the room. "Hiei! You shouldn't be up yet, that dragon got in a strike with its claws!" I heard another familiar voice cry, as muffled footsteps became audible. "I'm fine." The next voice said, but there was exhaustion deep in the voice. I heard somebody sit down next to me. "Let's go see her pictures now." One of the earlier voices joked. "Over my dead body!" I hissed weakly, opening my eyes again. "Just kidding." He replied back. I looked to all the faces around me; they all looked familiar yet strange. My blue vision was fading but it was still there. "I knew that would get you up." He continued.  
  
"Heh, humor, funny." I said sarcastically. I sat up and felt a rush in my head making me lay back down. I looked at my scarred hand; the blue glove had long since disappeared. The blue lines of the scar were more defined than before, it was more like a tattoo then a scar now, like Hiei's. "Ixi your bracelet!" Kurama exclaimed. "Huh?" I mumbled while lifting my arm to see the bracelet. The silver links were glowing with a blue aura and a second charm was taking form. My jaw dropped. It was a little silver sketchbook. "Okay?" I sat up again, this time with no rushing feeling in my head. I eyed the little charm while standing up. "Okay Bai people, I'll be back." I said waving while heading to the door.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" The fossilized woman stepped in my way. "To go find "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles", where else?" I sarcastically quoted the tittle of a book I'd read as a little kid. "I'm going home to pick up some extra junk!" I exclaimed as they gave me blank looks. "Jeez, sarcasm is like a foreign language to you people!" I stepped to the side and walked around the 'grandma'. I stopped and turned to the gang still giving me blank looks. "And if I find out any, ANY of you went into my stuff . . . ." I trailed off and started walking again. I pushed open the door and I could hear one of them get up and follow me. "And you think you'll be okay alone why?" Came Kurama's question. I turned my head to acknowledge his presence but nothing else.  
  
"Why are you following me?" I asked folding my arms behind my head. "We were giving orders to protect you, and you going off alone is not very good protection." Came his cool and collected reply. "Kurama." I paused making sure he was listening. "Yes Ixi?" "You should be a lawyer." Sarcasm once again was in my words. I took off running and he followed. "You sure run a lot Ixi." Came his own sarcasm. "Heh, you ain't seen nothin' yet!" I yelled back, running faster at the sight of my apartment. I pumped up the stairs closely followed by Kurama. I took out my key for the front door's lock, but when we reached the room, the door was cracked open. I tenderly pushed the door in and the hinges creaked. I walked in, everything looked normal. "Mom musta been absentminded or something." I whispered walking deeper into the large apartment. I walked down the hallway to my room and found the door forced opened from the inside.  
  
I walked into my room and saw everything strewn about. I gingerly picked up a sketchbook; everything was unharmed, just out of place. I grabbed a travel bag and began to put all my sketchbooks and drawing supplies in it. I turned around after grabbing several other items and scribbling a note to my mom. "Kurama, whatever you do, don't move!" I said in a worried voice once he was in my vision. "What?" He said freezing in place. "Turn around, hands up Kurama." I said in the same voice. "MEOW!" Kurama jumped back when a flying ball of fur jumped on him. Kurama crashed to the ground with the flying fur ball on his chest. It began to hiss at him, baring its teeth. "CRICKET!" I cried running over to Kurama and pulling the hissing ball of white fur off of Kurama. "Cricket?" Kurama cried in an exasperated voice. I hugged the hissing cat close to my chest so it didn't bite Kurama. "Yes, Cricket. He is a rare albino Japanese man- eating Cricket." I said matter-of-factly. "Oh really? Looks like a white fuzz ball of a killer cat to me." Kurama said leaning his head over to look at Cricket better. "Well you should brush up on your enta- entamol- "Entomology?" "That's the one, entomology!" I said laughing as Cricket hissed at Kurama again.  
  
I pulled my extra bags on my shoulder and put Cricket down. Kurama and me were about to leave when a soft purring near my ankle stopped me. "Awe, Kurama we gotta bring him with us. He doesn't like anyone else in my family!" I whined handing my one of my bags to Kurama to pick Cricket up. "Uh. Okay fine but keep him away from Hiei. If he pulls the man-eating routine, Hiei won't put up with it." "Okay!" I said excitedly while scribbling on the note for my mom. "Mom, took Cricket with. Ixi." I mumbled while reading what I wrote. "Let's go!" With that I ran down the steps after locking the door to the apartment. Kurama rolled his eyes and took off after me.  
  
In a short time we were back to the temple and everybody gave us a weird look. I put Cricket down and he stayed near my ankle hissing. "Alas, no Whangdoodle did we find, only this Albino Japanese Man-eating Cricket." I announced in my fake British accent. "A Japanese what?" Yusuke asked bending down to get a good look at Cricket. "An Albino Japanese Man-eating Cricket." Kurama said appearing from behind me. Sweatdrops around the entire room. Yukina bent down to pet Cricket but he hissed and bared his fangs. "Eep!" She cried pulling back. A katana was near the cat's nose in a split second. "You sure this thing is a cat?" Hiei said as Cricket defiantly batted Hiei's sword with his claws, all the while hissing at it. "Nope!" I said while picking him up.  
  
I straightened up with the cat purring like a kitten while I pet its head. "But he isn't what I would call people friendly. Just like you Hiei." I said picking up my bags and jogging to my room. I could feel their curious glances as I walked down the hall. I shut the door to my room and let Cricket down. He proceeded to investigate all my stuff until he finally reached a little bag full of stuff. He got his claws into the pull-string and the contents came rushing out like water. Tons of pictures of just about everything cascaded from the bag. Cricket explored the piles of photos until he came across his favorite. A picture of Kyle, Cricket and me. Cricket was a kitten in the picture. I gently picked up the photo and Cricket and walked over to my bed. It was a photo of the first day I had Cricket, Marcus was aiming to be a photographer, so he was constantly taking pictures of his most willing subjects, Kyle and me. He would develop the pictures then make two copies, one for me and one for Kyle. In this picture we were in Kyle's room, on his bed, giving peace signs to Marcus. Cricket was on my lap. Marcus had taken the photo so we were looking up at him. Fortunately Marcus had gotten the picture taken before he fell from the spinning chair he had used to get a bird's eye view.  
  
"Marcus was always sort of an idiot. But we loved him anyway." I laughed as I said it. //They do tell you not to stand on those chairs. \\ I silently laughed as Cricket pawed at himself in the picture. "Silly kitty." I gently tickled the cat's white belly and a loud purr escaped the cat's throat. A knock on my door brought me from my fantasy. "Come in!" I cried sitting up to put Cricket in my lap. Yukina's head popped into the room. "Dinner's ready." She announced. "K' be there in a sec." I picked Cricket up and made my way to the dinning room.  
  
A/N: Ta-da hope you like it. Please review. Thank you to all those who do! 


	6. 5 Tag?

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Really, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, Really. ^-^'' //crazy ppl \\  
  
A/N: This chapter dedicated to Miny Mars for being the only one to review. *Glares at the people who didn't review*  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\  
  
Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \  
  
*~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 5 Tag?  
  
*~*  
"Auntie Ixi?" Chloe asked after I had stopped for a second. "Yes sweetie?" "How much of this is really real?" I leaned back smiling. "As much of it as you want it to be." I said after a short pause. Chloe gave me a black stare before smiling. "So he could be real?" She said holding up the picture of Kurama I had drawn with the rose. "Why? Think he's cute?" I pried, as she blushed deep red. "Chloe and Kurama sitting in a tree, K-I-S- S-I-N-G, first com-"Now enough of that." I said defensively and Rayden shut up. "Okay what happened next?" He asked impatiently. "Where were we again?" "At dinner after you got Cricket." "Oh right well dinner . . .  
  
*~*  
It wasn't SO bad. I mean no monsters crashed the party, well that weren't already there. Meaning Kuwabara and Cricket. CRASH! Kuwabara was punched through the wall. Cricket scurried under the table hissing at him. "Uh Kuwabara?" "Present." He said weakly. "I said he's NOT a people- friendly kitty." "I know but I couldn't resist. I love kitties." Hiei leaned over to look under the table. "Ixi, I'm going to ask you again, are you sure that thing is a cat?" He asked looking up to me. "Uh? I'm starting to question that myself." Cricket scurried from under the table to my shoulder. "Meeeeeeeeeooooooooooooow!" He protested. "Heh, he's my Japanese Man-eating Cricket, and that's all I can say Hiei." Everybody just kinda sweatdropped and continued with their meal. Kuwabara eventually dragged himself back to the table after Yukina healed most of the scratches. "Ixi, I have one thing to say to you," Kuwabara said while looking at Cricket on my shoulder, "That is not a cat. And I know cats." "Eh, cat enough for me." I replied turning back to my food.  
  
The rest of dinner went fine until Puu fluttered into the room and settled down near Yusuke. Cricket immediately reacted by jumping off my shoulder and running across the table to reach the strange blue creature. I lunged forward in an attempt to grab the cat but Cricket was just too fast. He was upon Puu before anyone could grab him. "Meow?" Cricket's hair was standing on its end. "Puu!" Puu cried. Cricket seemed to debate over if it was a good thing or a bad thing. "Meow?" He seemed to ask a question to the strange blue thing. "Meow?" He seemed to ask a question to the strange blue thing. "Puu." Cricket cocked his head to one side. //Ah the language barrier. \\ I looked at my confused cat then I saw something weird. Cricket's blue eyes flashed silver for a second. //Wait, silver? It must be a trick of the light or something. \\ I tried to convince myself it was nothing.  
  
Cricket hissed and scurried off, and by some unknown signal Puu flew after him. I looked up once they left, and saw Kurama with a look of deep thought in his eyes. I shrugged it off and finished my dinner. Everybody stared at me as I rose from the table and took my dishes into the kitchen. Walking from the hall to my room seemed to take forever, I don't know why, but time seemed to slow. / "Ixi" \ The all too familiar voice in my head was back. //Listen, if you are going to talk in my head can I at least know your name? \\ / ". . ." \ //You do that way too much. \\ / "Well really I don't have a name." \ //What? No name? Can I give you one then? \\ / "Uh, I guess it wouldn't kill me." \ //Tell me about your self. \\ / "What? Why?" \ //So I can give you a name that fits you. \\ / "Oh, okay, umm? I'll have to think about it. Bye" \ //WHAT? You can't leave come back here. \\ / ". . . ." \ //I hate you. \\ I muttered in my thoughts, finally reaching my room.  
  
I opened the door and walked in only to find several piles of sketchbooks and sheet music scattered over the floor. "Meow?" Cricket's playful meow told me he had created the mess. "Cricket." I sighed picking the nearest pile of sheet music up. I smiled looking at the piece I had picked up. "C'est La Vie" by Shania Twain. (A/N: If you have a problem with country music just remember, it's YOUR problem.) I smiled and picked up my guitar and then I went over to my bed. I gently plucked the strings, playing the melody of the song. I stopped when soft footsteps were heard. "Don't you people know how to knock?" I snapped turning to see who had barged into my room. "No." Kurama replied as he stepped over the pile of music to come closer. "What do you want?" I snappishly asked. "To talk." He calmly replied. "Yeah, well I don't." I went back to strumming on the guitar, but this time only doing scales. "What were you playing before?" I glared at him, "Why do you care?" //Why am I being so rude to him? \\ I asked myself as he just calmly sat there, taking it as if I was saying nothing.  
  
Cricket made his presence known by hissing loudly at Kurama. I looked at my strange cat and saw his eyes flicker silver again. Kurama must have seen it too because he stood up and grabbed Cricket by the scruff of his neck. Cricket defiantly laid his ears back and hissed even louder, but his eyes didn't change again. Kurama just kept staring at the cat. //Whoa! Hold on, not Kurama's eyes too! Amber? \\ Kurama's eyes changed just like Cricket's, but his seemed to reflect amber, not silver. But I couldn't be sure of what I had seen. Kurama put the cat down who then darted out of sight. "You sure that's a cat?" "For the last time no!" I crossed my arms, "Why does it matter if Cricket is a cat? He is a stray that Kyle found and gave to me." Something I said must have got the gears turning in his head because Kurama went into the deep thought mode before leaving my room.  
  
*** The next day ***  
  
"Do you people have to follow me everywhere I go?" I said looking up at the dark clad figure on top of the lamppost. "Yes." I sighed, "Rhetorical question Hiei." "Hn, whatever." I started walking again. Sunday crowds swarmed on the sidewalks making it hard to get around. //Why couldn't Kurama be the one who had to "protect" me today? All Hiei does is Hn! \\ I pushed past some punk wanna be to get out of the crowd. "Hey stupid watch where you're going!" He yelled pushing my shoulder. "Watch it your self!" I hissed back. The stupid punk pulled out a small dagger. I cleared my throat and pointed to something behind him. He stiffened as Hiei's katana sheath was poked in his back. The kid put up his hand and dropped the dagger. I started walking again and Hiei vanished. "Oh the perks." I happily whispered folding my arms behind my back. //Well at least I don't have to get my hands dirty fighting wanna be's. \\  
  
/ "Hello" \ //Oh not you again! \\ / "That hurts." \ //Well at least you said hello this time instead of barging in to head. \\ / "Heh, heh" \ //So? \\ / "So what?" \ // Ugh, I'm completely and utterly surrounded by idiots! \\ / "Really?" \ // . . .\\ / "Hey I'm actually talking now and you aren't listening!" \ //Point? \\ / ". . . "\ //Exactly, none whatsoever! \\ / "Bye." \ //Bai. \\ "Ixi? Hello anybody home?" I shook my head coming out of the conversation with, uh the thing in my head. "W-what?" "You stopped, and then you didn't answer." I just gave Hiei a blank stare. "Hey Hiei I got a question for you." Hiei sighed, "What?" "Uh this might sound stupid, but have you ever had a voice in your head?" Hiei just gave me a blank stare, "Yeah, his name is Kuwabara and his annoying voice won't leave." I started to laugh.  
  
I looked over to a café near where we were. "C'mon lets go." I cried grabbing hold of a surprised Hiei's arm, pulling him toward the café. "W- what?" He stuttered being yanked forward. I had no intention of getting coffee or anything; a poster in the window had caught my attention. It read as follows:  
  
Do you have a talent? Or just want to get known?  
Show our panel of judges what you got  
This Friday at 7o' clock  
Only here @ Four Elements Café Poetry, Dancing, Singing, Instrumental, Short Stories, Stand up, Improv,  
etc...  
Sign up inside  
  
"Wait here Hiei, I'll be right back." "Hey wait, get back here." He cried as I practically flew through the doors. I rushed up to a waitress and I heard the bell for the door ring. "Excuse me miss, where is the sign up sheet?" I asked as a confused Hiei appeared behind me. "Right over there on the counter sweetie." She replied sweetly pointing me in the right direction. I walked over to the counter ignoring the battery of questions Hiei was giving me. I took the pencil and neatly wrote my name and talent. "Ixiada Dragona, talent(s) Uh? Hmm what should I do?" I muttered as I read. "Singing and playing the guitar. (If musical what song & artist/if poetry what's the tittle & author/if dancing what song? /if written author?)" I read out loud again. I glanced over at Hiei; he had a mixture of confusion and anger in his eyes. "Hmm? Yeah that one." I said going over the songs I could play on my guitar and sing too. I scribbled down the song and artist and put the pencil down. "Okay lets go."  
  
"What were you doing?" He asked following me out of the café. I stayed silent pretending not to hear him. "I asked you a question!" He glared at me. I had a flyer in my hand to remind me of the time for practice, time to show up etc... and I was folding it the unfolding it, thinking about ways to ignore a person. "Hn!" Hiei said before vanishing in his usual way. I put the now slightly ripped paper in my pocket and walked on. //Am I crazy doing this talent show? \\ I asked myself. / "No" \ //Hey look, nameless is back! \\ I sarcastically exclaimed in my head. / "Heh, heh humor . . . funny" \ //Hey that's my sarcastic line! \\ / "Not anymore!" \ //Hey I got a name for you! \\ / "Yeah? What is it?" \ //Cyrus. \\ /"Why Cyrus?" \ //I dunno, it sounds kewl. \\ / ". . ." \ //Fine be that way, I'll think of a different name. \\ / "No, Cyrus is fine." \ I froze //That sounded like Kyle. \\ I thought softly, but Cyrus must have left because he didn't reply.  
  
"Earth to Ixi!" Came Hiei's annoyed voice, ripping me from my thoughts yet again. "Yes?" I asked, once again a blank faced person. "You spaced out AGAIN." I sheepishly grinned and scratched the back of my head. "You know how you have that voice in your head called Kuwabara that won't go away?" "Yes why?" "Because I got one named Cyrus that keeps leaving." "Cyrus?" "Eh, he didn't have a name so I gave him one." "Okay?" Hiei gave me a skeptical look before continuing. "Lets get you home." "Yes good idea." I said pretending to stagger around. //I bet Hiei wishes Kurama was here instead of him too. \\ "Tag you're it!" I cried as I poked Hiei's head and took off in a run to the temple. I turned around; Hiei just stood there with a blank look on his face. "Tag?" I could hear him mutter. //This is going to be interesting. \\ I said laughing inside my head.  
  
A/N: There, finished ta-da! I'm not going to set review limits for my stories but if only my friend Miny Mars reviews then it's going to take longer to get them up. Praise, Flame, Pointless nonsense I don't care, but reviews makes me write more. So make me feel good and review.  
  
To Miny Mars: Don't worry I'll keep updating even if it is just for one reviewer, ^-^ 


	7. 6 Simple Piece of Paper

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: I own Yu Yu Hakusho only in my dreams. And dreams are not reality last time I checked, which is probably why they call them dreams. V_V'  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\  
  
Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \  
  
*~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 6 A Simple Piece of Paper  
  
*~*  
"Auntie Ixi, why did you call the voice in your head Cyrus?" Chloe asked still holding the picture of Kurama. "Uh? I don't know, like I said, it sounded kewl." "Hey Chloe, Auntie Ixi, the rain stopped!" Rayden exclaimed. All three of us looked out the smeared and dust covered window, to see the sun making an appearance. "But I want to finish the story!" Chloe protested. "Only 'cuse you're in love with a guy who doesn't really exist!" He cried back. "Kurama does too exist, Auntie Ixi said so! Isn't he real Auntie Ixi?" Chloe exclaimed. //Hmm, do I tell them or let it build up for a little while longer? Decisions, decisions. \\ "Uh, like I said that is something you must decide for yourself. Now do you want to continue the story or go outside?" "STORY!" Chloe cried, "OUTSIDE!" Rayden cried equally loud. A thunderous crash from outside settled the argument, "Well the story it is . . .  
  
*~*  
"C'mon Hiei, please tell me you've played Tag before?" I had run back to the confused short one. Hiei only gave me a blank look. //Well that settles that I guess. *Sigh* how can you not know how to play Tag? \\ "Seriously? You don't even know what it is?" Hiei was trying to hide the fact he had no clue. "Jeez." I began to walk off my arms folded behind my head. He wasn't following me and when I looked back I saw something in his hand. As soon I looked back though, he hid it behind his back and glared.  
  
We finally reached the temple and the first person we saw was Yukina. "Hey Yukina." I said waving as she pulled a weed from her beautiful garden. She waved back smiling. I turned around to see what Hiei did to say hello but he had vanished. //Sigh, jeez that guy is anti-social. \\ / "Who?" \ //Cyrus? \\ / "The one and only." \ //Heh, what's up? \\ / "Oh the sky, the sun, there are probably some birds and planes flying around." \ //Literal much! \\ / "I know" \ //So what exactly do you do when you're not pestering me in my head? \\ / "Eh, lil' of this, lil' of that." \ //That's pretty vague and I said Exactly. \\ / "Eh, err, uh?" \ //Sigh, you're just as bad as Hiei, wait no Hiei is worse, he doesn't know what Tag is. \\ / "Tag?" \ //Ugh, not you too! \\ /No I know what Tag is. Game played usually by nigen children. One or more are it and if you get "tagged" by one of them you become it and the previous "it" isn't it anymore." \ //Jeez, you're like a librarian or something. \\ / "Heh, yes well . . ." \ //Hey wait you aren't some librarian who had too much time and then found this book of evil spells that lets you talk in people's minds are you? \\ / "Wow, that's some interesting err, logic." \ //Heh, I blame it on sugar, video games and cartoons. \\ / ". . ." \ //Yep, run away, far, far away. \\ / "I'll keep that in mind. I got to go bye." \ //Bai \\  
  
"Ixi?" Kurama was next to me waving his hand in front of my face. "Hey, people keep doing that to me today." I said. Kurama simply gave me a confused look. "Ask Hiei." I said before walking on. //Okay, whenever I talk to Cyrus I space out and stop doing whatever I was doing. Hmm that's interesting. Wait, he said nigen, Hiei says that too. I wonder what that means anyway? \\ I stopped and turned around, Kurama was still there staring at me. "Kurama?" "Yes?" "What is a nigen?" "Uh, demon word for Human. Why?" "Oh, no reason." I said quickly as I took off for my room. He gave me a curious glance but didn't pry. //Well if there is one good thing about these people they don't question all too much. \\  
  
I walked to my room and looked at the mess. "*Sigh* I should clean this place up." "Mew?" Came a timid cry from near my feet. "Oh Cricket, you don't look so good." "Mew." He replied weakly before scurrying off. "Huh? What's up with him?" I began to pick up sheet music and my sketchbooks, putting them in tidier piles. When most of them were picked up I went over to my bed and sat down. I reached into my pocket to take out the flyer to mess with something, but it was gone. "What? Hey where did it go?" *CRASH *BANG * THUD! * The "tidy" piles of stuff were over turned in search for the piece of paper. "Dang, where did that stupid thing go?" I exclaimed, frustrated by the fact that a little piece of paper was causing me to lose my mind. "What, this?" Came Hiei's taunting voice. He was leaning in the doorway, which I didn't even hear open the piece of paper unfolded in his hand. He turned the paper around to look at it but me lunging forward towards him didn't let him get a long look. "Hiei you little runt give it back!" I screamed chasing him down the hallway.  
  
He chanced a glance back at my angry face just as Yukina was coming through the kitchen doorway. Hiei rammed on the brakes, but it was too late to stop. He crashed into her, but when he hit her he twisted his body so that when they crashed into the ground he was taking the force of the hit not her. Oooo and what a force it was. //That looked painful. \\ I thought gingerly walking over to them. "Hiei? Are you okay? Hiei?" Yukina said looking at the semi-unconscious Hiei underneath her. "Eh, I'm fine." He said weakly as the other Reikai Tantei ran to see the commotion. I was about to grab the piece of paper back, but Hiei returned to full consciousness and gripped it tighter. It ended up being a tug-of-war match between us until Kurama grabbed the paper from both our hands. "Hey, give it BACK!" I yelled about to tackle Kurama.  
  
"All of this for some stupid piece of paper?" Yusuke asked annoyed. "HN!" I glared at him. "Give it Kurama!" I said making a grab for the paper, but it was one of those situations where the person with what you want is just that much taller than you were. Kuwabara grabbed my arms and held them behind my back as I kicked out with my legs. Kurama's green eyes quickly swept over the now ripped paper. "LET GO!" I screamed, using my bloody murder, high-pitched scream. Well, Kuwabara let me go. I lunged forward, pouncing on Kurama. I gripped his wrist that had the paper in it and dug my nails in. Kurama cried out in shock and the paper fluttered to the floor. Then Yusuke had to be stupid and grab the paper. "Keep AWAY FROM IXI!" He cried running down the hall with the paper. "Come back!" I cried exasperated. Before I could stop them, tear began forming in my eyes and instead of following Yusuke I ran to my room.  
  
I slammed my door and leaned up against the door to prevent it from opening. / "Ixi? What's wrong?" \ I could hear Cyrus gently asking me questions but I refused to answer. In the same way I could hear someone softly knocking on my door and asking if I was okay. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed at whoever was at the door. "Ixi, please can I come in?" The whoever was Kurama. "NO I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!" I could hear something hit the door with a soft thud. //Great, he's going to break down the door. \\ / "Who?" \ //Buzz off! \\ / "Huh? Ixi, what's going on?" \ //I said leave me alone! \\ / "Uh, . . .fine bye" \ Now I couldn't hold the tears back, they streamed white hot down my cheeks. "Ixi?" Kurama had neither left nor bust down the door. Before I could stop it, Kurama forced the door open and I was sent flying forward. I turned as he came in; he had a death glare every second. But despite that, Kurama knelt down and handed a now severally ripped flyer.  
  
I snatched it from him, still glaring daggers through my tear-stained eyes. He had a sad smile as he gently wiped the stream of tears on one of my cheeks. I slapped his hand away, still glaring. He simply smiled and stood up and left without a word. Once he was out of sight I put my hand and gingerly touched the spot where he had wiped my tears away. His green eyes full of sadness still playing in my head. //Those eyes, so much like Kyle's. Whenever I would do something that ended up having me fall on my face he would be there for me, but now he's . . . \\ I sighed as a shiver of remembrance rushed through my spine. I heard footsteps coming closer to my still open door and I prepared a death glare for whoever that was too. It was Hiei. //Oooo, extra daggers for his death glare. \\ I muttered in my head as he stopped in my doorway. "Ixi?" He paused wanting to make sure he had my attention, so I turned my head so I was no longer looking at him. "Hn," he sighed taking a step forward. "Ixi, listen, I'm s-sorry." When the words came from his mouth he looked like he was speaking a foreign language.  
  
"Like hell you are!" I said, still not looking at him. Hiei rolled his eyes and looked like he was thinking hard on how to word this so I would listen. "Ixi, I shouldn't have done it, and I won't do it again, I promise." He took a step forward. "Go away." I icily said. He sighed and sat down where he was so that we were at eye level. "Why were you trying to keep the talent show thing a secret?" I brought my knees under my chin, still not answering. Hiei simply sighed at my silence as he got up. "Well, dinner is ready if you're hungry." I nodded to show I was listening, and Hiei left. I looked at the piece of paper in my hand. Kurama had written something on it. "Good Luck Ixi" I sighed and stood up. As I walked towards the dinning room I could hear the group in there talking.  
  
"So are we going to go to the talent show thing?" I could hear Yusuke ask. I stiffened near the door to listen. "No, we weren't invited to come. She'd just get mad." Hiei bluntly replied. "I don't care what you do, but I'm going, it's always nice to know that someone was there watching you that you know." Keiko said. "If Keiko goes then I'm going too." Yukina was the next to talk. "You guys do know she is just outside the door right?" Kurama asked, I could almost see the amused smile on his lips. I stiffened despite the amusement I was feeling. I started to tiptoe back to my room but the door to the dinning room opened and Kurama's very amused face appeared. I stuck my tongue out at him as he pulled me into the room.  
  
After being dragged into the room and seated the conversation came to a halt. "Hey Kurama, how'd you know she was out there? I mean I didn't even sense her." Came Kuwabara's always confused voice. "I'm a fox Kuwabara, don't doubt my abilities." Kurama replied coolly. "Fox?" I softly questioned. Kurama heard me, but gave no reply. "Hn, Baka." I could hear Hiei mutter at Kuwabara's stupidity. I sighed and let my head rest on the table, showing I was bored. "Ixi?" Kurama asked. "Hn." I replied. //I've been around Hiei too long. \\ "Do you want us to come to that talent show?" Kurama continued. "Hn." I said again. "Talent show? Who is in a Talent show?" Genkai had walked into the room. Without looking up knew everybody in the room pointed to me. "Hnnnn." "Oh I see." She replied taking a seat at the table.  
  
"Hiei, I blame you for this." I muttered as quietly as I could. "Really? What did I do?" He asked. "HNNNNNN!" I looked up at him. "Sarcasm." He muttered. I stood up and walked out. Cricket darted out and I practically fell over to avoid stepping on him. "Cricket!" //Today is just not my day. \\ I muttered in my head. When I reached my room it was surprisingly clean. //Hey I know I left this place in ruins! \\ I thought looking at the neat piles of music, art and other stuff. "What?" I exclaimed as I walked in. Bubbly laughs from behind me made me spin around. There was Yukina, with lots of cleaning supplies. "Oh, they must not have told you, every few weeks I'll go through and clean everything. If you don't want your room done then just say so." "No, it's okay thanks." I smiled as she disappeared down the hall. "Wow, I didn't think this room could be done that fast. She is a busy body." I muttered cheerfully as I went through the music.  
  
I looked up as I heard a soft knock on the doorframe, because it had been one of the rare occasions I left my door open. Hiei was there looking at the neat room. "What do you want?" I asked, letting the ice seep into my voice. He sighed and came closer. From behind his back he pulled out an envelope and handed it to me. I took it and was about to open it when he started walking away. I opened it and took out the card inside. It was a card with Japanese symbols for good luck and a good luck message in the inside of the card, signed by everybody, Kurama, Yusuke, Yukina, Keiko, Kuwabara, Genkai, Botan and even Hiei and Puu signed it. Though Puu's was more of a paw print than a signature. I sighed and stood up. As I approached the dinning room I heard them talking again, but this time it was only making fun of an oblivious Kuwabara. I stuck my head into the room and the talking stopped. "Alright, alright you can come." I said and was about to turn around and go back to my room when Yusuke grabbed my arm. "C'mon, join us. Making fun of Kuwabara is fun." I laughed and let myself be dragged into the room.  
  
A/N: Not as much humor but, eh, who cares? If you have any suggestions for humorous situations I can put these people in, feel free to tell me. And also review, I like to know if people like what I'm writing. ^_^ 


	8. 7 Singing my Heart out

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Heh, humor . . . funny. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho Heh, humor . . . I don't own the song lyrics I use either, they belong to their respective right holders.  
  
A/N: And again, if you have a problem with Country music, please remember, it's your self-given problem.  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\  
  
Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \  
  
*~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 7 Singing my Heart Out  
  
After enjoying our favorite pastime of making fun of Kuwabara I decided I would call it a night. Auditions were tomorrow and I wanted to be rested up to do my best. Amazingly I fell asleep fast and without any late nights to affect me tomorrow.  
  
***The Next Morning***  
  
"Ixi?" I felt someone gently shake my shoulder so I would get up. "Mhp, mrumm." Is all I said. "Ixi, you'll be late!" Botan was trying to wake me up. I shot awake at her words of being late. Once she saw I was up, Botan left so I could get dressed in private. I fumbled with my glove as a knock was heard on my door. "Come in." I cried still trying to fix my glove. Yukina had a breakfast tray loaded with a delicious looking breakfast. I grabbed my white over-shirt and all the stuff I would need for the audition and running out the door I grabbed some toast. "Sorry, looks delicious but I got to run." I cried to a smiling Yukina. "See YA!" I cried running out the door, waving to the sleepy-eyed Yusuke and Kuwabara. As I turned to start running straight I slammed into Kurama.  
  
I fell backward and looked up. "Huh! Kurama, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine, but you need to get to the auditions." "Oh, right, gotta go bai!" I said grabbing my guitar case and music. I ran out the gates. //This is what they get for scheduling this stupid thing so dang early in the morning. It's what, 7:30 AM? \\ "Ixi! Wait you forgot something!" I could hear Kurama's voice yelling after me and as I turned to look back he had my slip saying I had signed up for the audition. He had reached me in no time and I took the paper and ran. He kept running with me though. "Mind if I come with?" "No." Fortunately all the running was worth it; we got to the café a whole two minutes before it officially closed for the auditions. The waiter took the slip from me and as I panted heavily he pointed me where to go for the music. "And you?" He said looking at Kurama. "Uh, with her." He said catching up with me.  
  
"So what song did you decide to do?" Kurama asked me as I took out my guitar. "It's a song called "Top of the World", it's by the Dixie Chicks. "Oh, well good luck." For some reason the people in charge thought it would be funny to have me go first. I stepped onto the stage and put the guitar's strap on my shoulder. I quickly tested the strings, on of them was out of tune so I had to fix it. "Okay, whenever you're ready." I nodded and began to strum the guitar's strings and began to sing once the short intro was done.  
  
I wished I was smarter  
  
I wished I was stronger  
  
I wished I loved Jesus  
  
The way my wife does  
  
I wish it had been easier  
  
Instead of any longer  
  
I wished I could have stood where you would have been proud  
  
But that won't happen now  
  
That won't happen now  
  
There's a whole lot of singing that's never gonna be heard  
  
Disappearing everyday without so much as a word somehow  
  
Think I broke the wings off that little songbird  
  
She's never gonna fly to the top of the world right now  
  
Top of the world  
  
I don't have to answer any of these questions  
  
Don't have no God to teach me no lessons  
  
I come home in the evening  
  
Sit in my chair  
  
One night they called me for supper  
  
But I never got up  
  
I stayed right there in my chair  
  
There's a whole lot of singing that's never gonna be hear  
  
Disappearing everyday without so much as a word somehow  
  
Think I broke the wings off that little songbird  
  
She's never gonna fly to the top of the world right now  
  
I wished I'd a known you  
  
Wished I'd a shown you  
  
All of the things  
  
I was on the inside  
  
I'd pretend to be sleeping  
  
When you come in, in the morning  
  
To whisper good-bye  
  
Go to work in the rain  
  
I don't know why  
  
Don't know why  
  
Cause everyone's singing  
  
We just wanna be heard  
  
Disappearing everyday without so much as a word somehow  
  
Wanna grab a hold of that little songbird  
  
Take her for a ride to the top of the world right now  
  
(Instrumental)  
  
Whoa, Whoa  
  
To the top of the world  
  
To the top of the world  
  
To the top of the world  
  
To the top of the world  
  
To the top of the world  
  
To the top of the world  
  
To the top of the world  
  
To the top of the world...  
  
I finished and looked at the stunned crowd. Even the other category people were looking at me. I could feel the blush creep on my cheeks. I bowed and quietly jumped off the stage. As I landed like a cat, the crowd began to clap; there were even a few whistles. The blush was getting redder as I went over by Kurama. He just blankly looked at me. I sat down as the next person uncertainly went forward and I busied myself with my guitar purposely untightening the string. / "Hello" \ I could hear Cyrus brightly say. //Hey \\ / "So what's new on your side of the block?" \ //Uh, what? \\ / "Waz up? Maybe?" \ //You're more like a book than a book actually is. \\ / "Uh, okay?" \ //Heh \\ "Ixi?" Kurama was once again in focus. "What?" I said blinking. "You spaced out again." "Oh, that, well . . ." I trailed off. I looked to the side and some guy in dark clothes was staring at me. "Can I help you?" I asked. "Yeah, you can give me a map because I got lost in your eyes." //Ugh, get a life! \\ "That is the lamest pick-up line I've ever heard." I said while rolling my eyes. The kid bowed his head and walked off.  
  
Sighing I began to play my guitar again. Cyrus seemed to have left so I couldn't talk to him anymore. "What are you playing now?" Kurama asked. "Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)." I quietly replied as I kept playing. "Can you sing it?" I blushed and nodded.  
  
Dragon tales and the water is wide  
  
Pirates sail and lost boys fly  
  
Fish bite moonbeams every night  
  
And I love you  
  
Godspeed little man, sweet dreams little man  
  
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angel's wings  
  
Godspeed, sweet dreams  
  
The rocket racer's all tuckered out  
  
Superman's in pajamas on the couch  
  
Goodnight moon we'll find the mouse  
  
And I love you  
  
Godspeed little man, sweet dreams little man  
  
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angel's wings  
  
Godspeed, sweet dreams  
  
(Instrumental)  
  
God bless mommy and matchbox cars  
  
God bless dad and thanks for the stars  
  
God hears amen wherever we are  
  
And I...love you  
  
Godspeed little man, sweet dreams little man  
  
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angel's wings  
  
Godspeed  
  
Godspeed  
  
Godspeed...sweet dreams  
  
I let the song finish before looking up. Once again the room was silently holding its breath as I sang, which only sent me blushing again. //I was singing soft too. It's going to be awkward that's for darn sure. \\ I was taken out of my thoughts when a clipboard was handed to me. "Here, all contenders must fill this out." The creepy waiter practically dropped it on my lap. //Creepy, rude and angry, Hmp! Jerk. \\ I took the board and moved my guitar so it was on my back instead of in my lap. I silently filled out the form all the while ignoring the gawkers who were so rudely staring at me. //Yep, very awkward. \\  
  
A/N: REVIEW! *Smiles sheepishly at the backing crowd of people* I mean PLEASE REVIEW! Seriously, it's not that hard okay 101 on reviewing  
  
Step 1: Push the GO button in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. /_- --- (Pst! That way) Step 2: Wait for the box on your screen to appear (takes like two seconds) Step 3: Write message in the box by using your keyboard. (You know, the thing with all the letters) Step 4: Click submit review button on lower portion of the box Step 5: Click close window button and wait up to 24hrs to see your results.  
  
Ixi: *walks up to mike and looks to the "crowd"* Hello?  
  
*Crickets chirping except for where Miny Mars is*  
  
Ixi: Hello Crowd of one! Thanks for reviewing Miny Mars! You're still the best!  
  
P.S. To Miny Mars: It's going to be very funny if we are both the only ones to review each other's stories. 


	9. 8 Dog Days

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: No I am NOT Yoshihiro Togashi. (If you don't know who that is, he's the creator person of YYH)  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\  
  
Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \  
  
*~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 8 Dog Days  
  
*~*  
"Auntie Ixi?" "Yes Rayden?" "How much of this story is real?" He said looking at his sister hug the life out the picture. "As much or as little as you want it to be. Now on with the story . . ."  
  
*~*  
  
"We're back!" I announced, slowly walking up the stone pathway to the garden. Everybody but Hiei and Yukina were sitting on the porch, enjoying the beautiful evening. Hiei was in his tree, watching Yukina beautify the garden that was already drop dead gorgeous. I could see Kuwabara longing to go over to his "true love" but was forcibly seated on the porch. Kurama took a seat with the others but I headed straight for my room to put all my stuff away and grab a sketchbook. Only this time Cricket did make me fall on my butt. "Cricket!" I said irked by the cat's sudden appearance. Cricket scurried off and I didn't think much about it. Grabbing my sketchbook I went back to the porch and took a seat.  
  
The sunset was casting beautiful shadows on the scenery and I wanted to capture it in one of my pictures. / "Hola" \ //Spanish now? Find a new book, psycho librarian? \\ / "No, and I'm not a psycho librarian. Where in the great Nigenkai do you come up with these things?" \ //What are you? \\ / "Huh? What do you mean?" \ //You said nigen, then Nigenkai, not normal human words, add the fact that you're telepathic and questions start to raise. \\ / "Uh, err got to go!" \ Cyrus rapidly left and I was left without answers. //Hmp, there are other ways to getting answers. \\ I took out my bracelet and the book soon appeared. I got curious looks from the gang. "Show me Cyrus." I told the book, and surprisingly enough it obeyed but it only flipped to a page reading NO MATCHES FOR CYRUS FOUND. //Damn. \\  
  
"Whoa, cool book. Show me The Great Kazuma Kuwabara." Came the stupid reply from Kuwabara. I had been flipping through the pages and as soon as the command from Kuwabara came out the pages turned blank. "Good job Kuwabara, you broke the book." Yusuke said laughing at him. //Sigh, and these people are suppose to be protecting me, why? Or even how for that matter? \\ I could see Kurama start to chuckle as if he could read my thoughts. //Wait, he can't read my thoughts can he? \\ Just a bigger smile on the redhead's face. //Well that sucks, hey maybe since he is telepathic he is Cyrus! Hey I wonder if I'm telepathic too or just a person of coincidence? Hey that would explain the smartness; Kurama's really smart, I think. Oi Kurama, if you're telepathic say sumthin'! \\ / "Who is Kurama?" \ //Hey look, it's chief dodges questions. \\ / "Ya, well I'll just be leaving then." \ //Get back here Cyrus! \\ / "Ahhhhh! Run away!" \ he teasing said as he left the recesses of my mind.  
  
Now the look on Kurama's face was one of shock. He caught my gaze and he mouthed the words "Who is Cyrus?" A pretended to not understand him and looked away. I could feel his curious gaze but I forced myself to look away. As I looked away Hiei's curious glance caught my attention. I ignored them the best way I knew how to, start drawing. It was a picture of a beautiful fox. If the picture was colored, the fox would have been a silvery white. The fox was leaping in the picture and all four feet were off the ground. To fantasize the picture a little bit I gave the fox nine tails instead of just one. Then I was compelled to draw Kurama as sort of an off center for the picture. Kurama surrounded by rose petals that were blowing in the wind. I looked back from the picture shocked at what I drew.  
  
I stood up, and I must have stood up to fast because my head started spinning. I could feel myself fall to the ground but could stop it. I also felt someone quickly grab me so I didn't fall. These are only the first things I remembered.  
  
*****Blackout*****  
  
I opened my eyes and I was surrounded by darkness. I slowly sat up and looked around, I could hear two separate people calling my name. "Cyrus? Kurama?" I questioned as I looked for familiar faces. The first face I saw did not look familiar or friendly for that matter. A huge red dragon was soaring towards me on huge wings. I could see fire and wrath in its eyes. As it got closer it opened its mouth and I could see fire in the back of its throat. The red dragon released the fire and I screamed as the mass of flames soared towards me. But, before the fire hit me, or even came close enough to singe me, a jet of water came from the side of me. A blue dragon appeared and it landed in front of me. Its blue wings were set at an angle as if posturing. The blue dragon was beautiful; it had three long horns on its head, one big one on the top and the other two directly behind it. It had two long fangs coming from its lip on the side I could see. On the long blue tail a sharp looking spike glittered in the light that did not exist.  
  
The blue dragon opened its mouth and an earth-shattering roar came from deep within the throat. //Oh God, I'm going to die! \\ The red dragon retorted back with an equally loud roar. And so it started, the red dragon lunged forward and grabbed the blue by the neck. Its sharp fangs sinking into the blue flesh. The blue defended by twisting its body and pushing the red off it. The red rose to its hind legs and so did the blue. They locked their forelegs, each pushing back on the other as hard as they could. Another set of earth shattering roars sent the ground trembling. Then the blue dragon got the advantage and sent the red dragon crashing to the ground. The blue dragon put its front foot on the red's throat to keep it down. "Looks like you lose again Ezra." Came a strangely familiar voice from behind me. I looked over to behind the fallen red dragon and there was a strange looking guy holding some kind of cards. I say he looked strange because he looked like a bat/person. He had bat wings and some bat facial features. I turned and behind me was a guy who looked like a cross between a dog and a guy. He had dog like ears on the top of his head and a dog's tail was swishing back and forth behind him. "Shut up Cyrus, I was going easy on you since your new around here." //That's Cyrus? \\ "Sure you were, and the last five times too." Ezra got a steamed look on his face, "Novo, return!" He cried and the red dragon vanished into red light, which disappeared into the card he held.  
  
Cyrus chuckled as the steamed bat/person vanished into thin air. His blue dragon sauntered over to him, "Good job Kyna." I swear the dragon curled up into a ball and began to purr like a cat as Cyrus began to pet her head. "Cyrus?" I whispered slowly walking forward. Cyrus froze and began to look around. "Huh?" He said looking for whoever called out his name. I took another step forward and the dragon's blue eyes slitted as she growled. "Huh? Who is there? Show yourself!" //He can't see me? Freaky. \\  
  
**********  
  
"Ixi? Ixi?" The voice faded in and out as it echoed in my head. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Everybody was crowded around me with worried faces. "Huh? What happened?" Kurama must have been the one who had caught me before I had fallen. "Ixi, you blacked out on us." He calmly said, but his eyes deceived his true feelings. His green eyes were full of worry. "Huh, I did?" I was speaking slowly and everything was blurry. "Oi, my head!" I exclaimed as a headache rushed through it. "Yeah, you did black out on us, Ixi are you okay?" Kurama was questioning me, I knew it, but I couldn't seem to answer back. / "Ixi? Are you okay?" \ Cyrus was back in my head. //Cyrus? Hey I got questions that need answers! \\ / "Got to go b-\ //No you stay here and answer! \\ / "Fine, I'll answer what do you want to know?" \ //Are you a dog? \\ / "What kind of question is that?" \ //Well not the woof, woof, four legged. mans best friend dog, but uh, you look like a normal person despite the dog-ears and tail? \\ / "Uh, that's a strange question why are you asking me this?" \ I could hear the nervousness in his voice. //Grrr, your not answering the question! \\ / "Sorry, gotta go, sayonara!" \  
  
Sighing audibly I sat up and watched the sun go down, all the while getting worried looks from everybody. I looked on my bracelet and now there were three charms, a book, a sketchbook and a dragon. "Hmm, I wonder what the sketchbook and dragon ones do?" I took the sketchbook charm in my hand and just like the book there was now a sketchbook in my hand. I took the pencil that was connected to the spiral binding of the book. I flipped to a blank page and began drawing a fox cub. It didn't turn out half bad either until the picture started to glow. I looked into the garden and right before everybody's eyes the fox I had draw was sitting near some roses. "I swear I didn't do it!" I cried as the fox stood up and chased after a butterfly. Nobody said a word but Hiei ended up catching it and he brought it back, along with several bites on his arm. "Uh?" Is all I could say in explanation.  
  
The fox cub obviously did NOT like to be held, and a firm bite from it on Hiei's arm quickly made him drop it. The fox scurried out of sight until I got an idea. On the picture I drew a collar on the fox and tied a rope connected to the ground onto the collar. The fox was tied. "Heh, oops." I sweatdropped trying to figure out how to fix whatever I just did. Hiei walked up to me to see what I did and I saw blood running down his arm from the bite. "HIEI, are you okay!?" I exclaimed as he tried to hide his arm from me. "What did you do, and how did you do it?" Kurama asked also looking at my picture. "I suppose, I don't know isn't very helpful right now?" "No, it isn't." "I don't know how the fox thingy appeared nor do I know how to make it go away." I said staring at the fox that was biting at the rope which bound it to the ground. "Uh, guys it's starting to vanish." Kuwabara said and I looked down to my paper, my eraser had gently rubbed a spot on the picture. "Wait, fox return!" I cried and low and behold the fox began to turn into light which returned to the paper.  
  
Funny thing though, now that the fox was back in the picture, the picture now moved as if it were alive. "Okay, that's different." I began to draw the fox a background to play in and as soon as there was something to hide behind the fox disappeared. The movements of the fox were beautiful though; the image seemed to leave an after image of a few lines. //So Cyrus is a dog person, I can make my drawings come to life, and I have a talent show in front of a huge crowd of people in a week. Heh, sounds like fun doesn't it? \\  
  
A/N: Hey nother chappie done!  
  
FYI: I forgot to mention this but all the lyrics for the last chapter were complements of this site: http:// lyrics.astraweb .com (just take out the spaces) they have all sorts of songs, you only need to know the tittle or artist to find a song. ^-^  
  
Please review and tell me what you think, Ixi out. 


	10. 9 I hate skirts

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Feh, T_T you STILL think I actually own Yu Yu Hakusho . . . Why?  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\  
  
Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \  
  
*~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 9 I hate Skirts  
  
The weekend was NOT long enough. I had run back home and picked up my uniform. I had put it on to make sure it fit once I had got back to the temple. Heh, well it wasn't that bad. (Sarcasm)  
  
"Ixi, come out, let us see." Yusuke was banging on my door. //Yeah right, like I'd let you see me in a million years like this. \\ "Not for all the money in the world Yusuke!" I yelled back while looking in the full- length mirror. "I'll bust down the door if you don't!" "I'd like to see you try!" WHAM! WHAM! Yusuke was ramming into the door; this was when I heard the knock on my window. Well to make sure NO one saw me I had put a make shift curtain over the window. I walked over to see who was at my window and almost broke my neck tripping over a pile of sketchbooks, it hadn't taken very long to messy up the room. I managed to get over to get over to the window without to much injury. I peeked my head through the curtain so whoever was there wouldn't see me. Keiko, Botan and Yukina were there to get me out of the room. "They have a camera Ixi, so you better get out before that door does come crashing in." I nodded and when the coast was clear I opened the window all the way and silently jumped down.  
  
Keiko took my hand and we ran for the exit. "Hey Keiko, I got a question." I said as we wove through the kitchen as a short cut. "Yeah, what?" "What's with the whole navy sailor girl look?" I was talking about the uniform. "I don't know." We were almost to the exit when Hiei appeared right in front of us. "Great *Sigh* we were almost home free." "Where are the four of you going in such a rush? And what's with the almost home free thing?" //He's talking like he doesn't have a clue. \\ "Wait, let me guess, the two idiots are doing something idiotic." I nodded and he looked over to me. Hiei was speechless. I could feel my cheeks turn red as he looked over the uniform. //This is probably the first time he's seen me in a skirt. \\ "HEY THERE SHE IS!" Kuwabara yelled. I rolled my eyes and sighed until Hiei stepped out of our way. We ran past him just as Yusuke and Kuwabara were in range. "Domo, Hiei." I whispered as I ran past. "Hn." Is what he said, but I saw the smile on his lips.  
  
Well after the sprint through the city we found ourselves in the 'upper' part of town. We had been walking around for a while. "Hn, baka rich dude. I swear the next rich kid to look down on me is going to find their face permanently planted into the cement!" Fortunately I had grabbed my normal everyday clothes and I had changed in the nearest public bathroom. "Urameshi will pay, Kuwabara too, they will pay dearly for this." I muttered giving an extra icy death glare to some richly dressed kid who backed away whimpering. "Ixi, Botan, Yukina, Keiko?" I turned around along with the other three to the sound of Kurama's voice. He jogged up to us with a confused look on his face. "Kurama?" I was the one to be confused next. "What are you doing here?" "I could ask you the same thing." I was curious to his appearance here. "I live here." "Wha? Nobody ever told me that." "So what are you guys doing here?" I turned up my nose and began walking away; "I don't want to talk about it." "Huh?" "It's a long story Kurama." Botan said as she watched me walk away in a huff. "Lemme guess, Yusuke and Kuwabara had something to do with it?" "Uh huh . . ."  
  
I had made some distance so the last part of the conversation was cut off. Time passed faster than I thought it could as I walked aimlessly through the city streets and before I knew it, the sun had gone down. It began to get cold and I shivered when a gust of wind blasted through the streets. "Brrr, it sure gets cold here fast." Then the dark clouds clouded the starry sky. A thunderous boom announced the rain before it fell. And oh how it fell, big drops of icy cold water. In less then a minute I was soaked and frozen. //Great, just what I need, to freeze to death. \\ Then I felt a warm cloak being thrown around my shoulders. I looked around and Hiei was standing there, his normal long black cloak off and a simple blue sleeveless on under it. "Hiei?" I asked as if he weren't real. "Hn, baka nigen, going to freeze to death in this weather." I could hear him mutter. //Yep he's real. \\ "Domo Hiei." We walked in silence until I spotted the Four Elements Café. "C'mon, it's too cold to be outside right now." I dragged the soaked Hiei along by his arm and we took a table for two in a dark part of the café. "What can I get you two?" Came a nice waitress's voice. "Uh, I'll have a hot chocolate, do you want something Hiei, I'll buy?" "Hn." He said while looking away. "Uh, give him a hot chocolate too." "K' be back with your orders in a few." I sighed looking at Hiei. "I'll be right back Hiei." I said while getting up from the table. "Hn."  
  
I went to the bathroom and went to one of the sinks. I took off my white over-shirt and squeezed all the icy water I could get out of it. I was still cold from the rain and I now was shivering slightly. I flipped the over-shirt over my shoulder and walked out into the café again. I looked around at the dimly lit room, there was someone setting up the stage with equipment and instruments. On the band's drums the name "Fallen Stars" was written, detailed by shooting stars and other glittery stuff. I went back to sit down at our table and the waitress came back with our drinks. "Here ya two go." She placed the two steaming cups down on the table. Hiei didn't even look at his; as for me I picked mine up and began to carefully sip the hot liquid. The band came out in some kind of pink glittering outfits. //Oh please no. \\ I mentally cried as one of them stepped forward and began talking in a very high pitched voice. "Hi y'all, I'm Clover and this is my band the Fallen Stars. We're going to play a few of our own songs then we'll take requests, k?" //Yeah, I gots a request, shut up! Leave the singing to the pros. \\  
  
Despite my mental protesting, they played on. That is, if you can call it that. I swear they couldn't carry a tune in a bucket if they tried. I looked outside; the rain still fell like there was no tomorrow. "Nigens actually call this music?" I heard Hiei sarcastically ask. "No, only baka nigens." I swear Hiei laughed at this, just under his breath. "Okay, any requests?" Clover asked in her high voice. I knew what I had to do. "Yeah, that is if you're not chicken." I yelled out waiting for a reply. "Yeah what is it?" "Battle of the bands. Me playing and singing against you guys." I stood up and walked over to the stage. They had to accept my challenge, if they didn't word would get out they could take the heat and they might never get another gig. "Alright fine, if you even know how to play." I smiled as someone handed me a guitar. Twisting it in my hand as I thanked the guy, "Course I know how to play." I jumped up on stage and checked the strings.  
  
"Okay ladies, rules are as follows, 1 the battle will have two rounds, with two different songs. 2 the crowd votes on whoever they like the most and that decides the winner. 3 No interruptions during the playing from either the crowd or participates. 4 no cat fights ladies, please. And when you're ready, one of you may begin. If you both know C'est La Vie we'll start on that song." I nodded to show I knew it, so did the "Fallen Stars." "You go first." I cunningly said to lure them into a false sense of hope. "Fine, I knew you couldn't do this." The band started off on the wrong note, and then their leader forgot some of the lyrics. Sad, really, really sad. "Okay, your turn Ixi." The announcer who appeared out of nowhere told me to go ahead. I pushed the lead singer off the mike and pulled it up to my level. I strummed the strings gently and began.  
  
It must be Monday! What a dumb day!  
  
Can't drag my butt outta bed  
  
Somebody stop me--I need another coffee  
  
Like a hole in my head  
  
When everyday begins this way  
  
Gets you down and can drive you mad  
  
The daily grind can freak your mind  
  
But life isn't all that bad  
  
[Chorus:]  
  
Don't let it get to you  
  
C'est la vie! That's life,  
  
and that's how it's gonna be  
  
C'est la vie! Hold tight,  
  
it comes right eventually. Oh --ho--  
  
If only I could sleep in—  
  
and wake up on the weekend  
  
Oh, what a dream that would be, yeah  
  
But fat chance for that one—  
  
it ain't gonna happen  
  
Better get back to reality  
  
I could be a slob or keep my job  
  
That is the choice we have  
  
The daily grind can freak your mind  
  
But life isn't all that bad  
  
[Chorus:]  
  
Don't let it get to you  
  
C'est la vie! That's life,  
  
and that's how it's gonna be  
  
C'est la vie! Hold tight,  
  
it comes right eventually. Oh --ho—  
  
Everybody's got to do it!  
  
Everybody's got to earn their way  
  
Uh, come on now  
  
You gotta work your own way through it  
  
Everybody's got their dues to pay  
  
Yeah  
  
The daily grind can freak your mind  
  
But life isn't all that bad  
  
[Chorus:]  
  
Don't let it get to you  
  
C'est la vie! That's life,  
  
and that's how it's gonna be  
  
C'est la vie! Hold tight,  
  
it comes right eventually. Oh --ho—  
  
Yeah, yeah  
  
C'est la vie! That's life, and that's  
  
how it's gonna be  
  
Uh, come on now  
  
C'est la vie! Hold tight,  
  
it comes right eventually. Oh--ho—  
  
C'est la vie  
  
I had stunned the crowd to a point of no return. Once I was done though, they began to scream and cheer like wild people. Once again the blush painted my face red. I bowed and the cheering continued. Add another ten shades of red to the one I was already wearing. I looked through the sea of people and there was Hiei, a smile playing on his lips. Add 'bout thirty more shades of red to the one I was wearing. I turned to the "Fallen Stars", they were whispering in a huddle. They broke and announced "This wasn't worth their time." And they left the stage in an angry huff. "Encore, encore!" They cried. "Uh, any requests?" I asked timidly and several people began to shout out their favorites. //Okay, well I wasn't planning on doing anything tonight anyway. \\ I picked one of the requests and began to play.  
  
Lets just say the café closed two hours later than what's on their business hours. Heh, well at least I think it was two hours. We had gone home really late and the bakas were up waiting for me. Fortunately for me Hiei went ahead of me, unfortunately for them Hiei went ahead of me. I sleepily walked to my room and barely stayed up long enough to change into my pj's. I fell onto my bed, totally wiped out. Singing always seemed to do that to me.  
  
*****The next morning*****  
  
I opened my eyes, and the digital clock showed 5:30AM. I closed my eyes and tried to get the last hour of sleep I would get, and yet no sleep would come to me. //Darn, well I'll just make it up in class. \\ I got out of bed and walked into the kitchen as quietly as I could so as not to wake anyone. Since I wasn't very hungry, I went into the garden. The sun was still sleeping and the garden looked strangely beautiful in the misty darkness. I breathed the damp air in deeply and walked through the garden. I sat on a nearby rock and looked over the darkened jungle. I looked to the east and faint trickles of color and light were appearing in the darkness of the sky. I peacefully watched the sun wake up and I thought I heard someone else wake in the house. My beliefs were made fact when the sliding door that leads from the outside to the garden softly slid open.  
  
I turned around to see who it was and since I was looking through shrubbery whoever it was wouldn't see me. Hiei's red eyes scanned the garden as if to make sure he was alone. After he thought he was alone he sat down cross-legged and appeared to be meditating. I watched on with interest. Then I saw a tear slowly fall down his cheek. It fell to the ground and I heard a soft clink. //Huh? Tears don't go 'clink'. \\ I looked to where the tear would have fallen, the only thing there was a beautiful black gem. I slowly backed away, I knew I shouldn't be there, but my hand hit a twig. SNAP! The sound seemed to echo and grow louder as Hiei looked up to the noise. "Who's there?" He said standing up and walking over to where I was hiding after he picked up the gem. He pulled out his katana, and before I knew what happened, cold steel was at my neck. I closed my eyes and I heard him take a breath in from shock. "Ixi?" I heard my name angrily called out. I opened my eyes and looked to the burning ones of Hiei. Hiei pulled back his katana and resheathed it. "Never tell what you saw." He said, waiting for a reply. "I swear I wont Hiei." I said still looking into his cold eyes. He vanished without saying anything else and I quickly went back to my room. I looked at the clock; it read 6:45. //Well, I guess I can start getting ready for school. I just can't forget the dagger to kill Urameshi and Kuwabara if they laugh. I hate skirts. \\  
  
A/N: Because the last couple have had lots of lyrics in them and not lots of words for the story, I made this chappie lots longer. :P Well there ya go, please review for me and tell me if you hate/love/don't care it. If the site name didn't show up for the last chapter I'll probably post it on my bio and you can check it out there. 


	11. 10 School? Bah Humbug! I'm goin to Makai

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Ixi no own Yu Yu Hakusho, ugg. _  
  
Thanks to Miny Mars who still is my only reviewer, if you have any songs you want me to put lyrics to just give me the name of the song and I'll see what I can do. ^-^  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\  
  
Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \  
  
*~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 10 School? Bah humbug! No School for me! I'm going to Makai!  
  
*~*  
"Auntie Ixi, what gives, Hiei wasn't really crying was he? He's too tough to cry." Rayden retorted. Chloe had gingerly put down the picture of Kurama and was looking at me curiously. "Nobody's too tough to cry." She softly said in Hiei's defense. "Like you would even know what being tough is, you just cry. And all the time." He taunted. "Rayden, urusai!" I warningly told him. He looked shocked at me telling him to shut up. Another clap of thunder sent a slight shiver down our spines. "Okay well after I was 'ready' for school I had to wait for the others to get up . . ."  
  
*~*  
  
On a whim I decided to make breakfast, I wasn't THAT bad of a cook, its not like I burn down the house, though some of the food as a slight burnt air about them, go figure. I was cooking my best dish, pancakes. Since I start from scratch I had to look for the ingredients. Looking for stuff, here is my belief to looking for stuff: Blind is the eye that seeks and the last place you look is where everything is found. Read that line carefully, it does NOT read you find stuff in the last place you think of looking, but simply in the last place you look. (Murphy's Law ^-^ He's so funny. State the obvious in fancy words and everyone thinks you're a genius.) Well to get at the flour I had to climb onto the counter-top. Not a smart idea-er there. I twisted coming down and fell to the floor, fortunately someone caught me.  
  
I jumped up after glomping the person under me. Kurama and me were white with flour, EVIL FLOUR. "Kurama? *Cough*" The flour had gotten caught in my throat and my attempt to laugh sent me choking. "*Cough* What are you *cough* doing here?" I was sent into a coughing fit and Kurama rushed to get me a glass of water. He pushed me into a seat and I watched the clear water quickly race to the top of the glass. "Didn't you hear?" "Huh? Hear what?" //Well obviously I didn't hear, c'mon Kurama tell me! \\ "All the schools have been shut down today, there was an electrical problem in every single one." "Every single school?" I asked, almost spitting up the water I had just swallowed. "Yes, the companies in charge of all the electric stuff cant explain it." "That so? Wow." I took another sip of water. //Hmm, that's strange, ALL of the schools? They rarely ever close on blizzards, but all of them have electric problems? \\ "Hey Kurama, are the schools suffering from the same problem?" He thought a little bit before he answered, "I think so, well the systems were being check for possible student sabotage, and I think it had something to do with the problem."  
  
My eyes widened. //No, this is what happened . . .\\ I jumped out of my seat and ran out the door. "See ya Kurama, I just remembered something I had to do. Bai!" //Damn, I just hope I'm not too late. \\ Running out the main gate I flew past Hiei who just gave me a shocked look. But as I ran I could feel something pulling me, sort of like wind but with a grip. I stopped and looked around. Empty, everyone was gone. //Strange, with all the schools closed there should be a gazillion people out here on the streets. \\ Then suddenly my vision went negative, which means all the colors turned to their opposite color. White was black, red blue etc... The pull became stronger and I could feel myself going somewhere. Not like walking but more like an instant transportation. I stumbled forward and when I looked up trees surrounded me. "Great, I wanted to come back here, where everything is trying to eat me." I sighed and pulled out the book.  
  
"Hey mister book person thingy, can you show me a map of this place?" The book glowed blue and flipped open to the page of the map. "*Sigh* So I'm somewhere in Yo-ko's territory? Who's Yoko?" I asked to no one in particular. "That would be me." Came a slightly icy voice behind me. I spun around and saw the same silver hair and ears as in the book. "Crap, my day just got better." I sarcastically muttered. "I'm sure it did Ixi." I looked at the fox person again. //Wait just one second! That sounded like Kurama! \\ "Well heh, I'll just be leaving now. Bu bai." I said, standing and slowly stepping back a few feet. The amber eyes of Yoko rolled and he took a step forward. "No, you're not going anywhere. You're coming with me." He made a reach for my arm and I took off in a run. Heh, yeah, didn't get very far.  
  
"LEMME GO YOU HENTASIA!" I screamed slapping him as he grabbed my arm. "So I'm perverted?" The ice back in his voice. "That's not something I would call the person who has your life in their hands." (Hentasia = perverted person) I glared daggers at him, not much else I could do, he had me pinned to the ground. "GET OFF BAKA HENTASIA!" I screamed pulling an arm out of his grip and ramming it into his throat. He fell back unable to breathe. I took my chance and ran for it. Before I could stop I had run into a river, water was splashing up in my face as I stopped and looked around. Something was different about the river. The waters flowed but I felt no pull. I knelt down to the river, gingerly putting a hand near the running current as one does to comfort a sick person. And as I did so a strange flashback popped into my head. Something about a silvery serpentine dragon, flowing with the water's current, breathing life into the river. "Huh?" I asked as I came back to reality.  
  
"Seems you've discovered Void River nigen." I spun around and Yoko was there glaring at me, his throat a slight purple. "Void River?" I asked confused by the name. "Yes Void River, the river is unable to sustain life in or around it, so it sucks the life from that which is around it." I sloshed through the water to the other bank. "Like I asked." I said and began walking off. Yoko rolled his eyes again and jumped the river landing gracefully in my way. I stopped and looked up at him as he glared down. "You're coming with me nigen." He forcibly said again grabbing my arm. "Like hell I am." I yelled trying to twist to get away from him, no such luck. "Lemme go!" I screamed as high as I could. He grabbed my other arm and twisted my body so it looked like he was hugging me from standing behind me. I kicked out my legs and they met only air. Yoko leaned back and my feet no longer touched the ground. Kicking all the way he walked off to somewhere I had never been before.  
  
I screamed the entire way calling him every name under the sun plus a few more. He seemed finally sick of it and threw me down. I landed with a defined thud and looked up to glare at him. But he wasn't looking at me at all; he was warily watching one direction as if expecting something big and bad to come out of it. I was about to say something when he dashed the few feet to me and picked me up. He began running, carrying me bridal style through the forest. I looked behind him and saw several demons searching for something in the place we just were. I drew in a nervous breath as Yoko set me gently down in the roots of a huge tree and motioned me to be quiet. I nodded and watched him eye the demons like a fox watches something moving. I got bored watching him and looked to another part of the forest. A huge beast was gliding over the tops of the trees; it sort of looked like a whale with six really long fins. A mysteriously beautiful song came from it and I felt entranced.  
  
Like at the river, I felt like I was remembering something from a long time ago. The dragon from the first was back again, this time sailing in the skies along side the huge flying creatures. It flew like a ribbon in the wind, its head never moved but its body was spiraling in the wind. Then the dragon took a turn in mid-air and cascaded down to the earth. But before the dragon collided with the earth it took off and soared along the ground barely inches from the plants below it. I could feel myself flying with the dragon, wind blasting in my face sending a chill of excitement through me.  
  
But alas, this one lasted barely longer than the first. I was sent flying with a force of an attack. The demons had found us and Yoko was busy fighting with half of them. I got up and slowly brushed the dirt from my clothes looking up to glare at the freak. "Heh, I don't know why the lord wants you, you baka nigen, there is nothing special about you to me." "Hmp, shows how much you know." Came my snippy reply. "Ooo, fiery wench aren't you?" Hissed the purple freak. "You have no idea." I turned and looked up. Hiei was standing on a low branch of a nearby tree. "Hiei?" I asked as he jumped down and stood in front of me. "Hn." He said, taking out a katana and stepping forward once again. //Yep, that's Hiei. \\ I sarcastically told myself as half the demons fell in a split second. Seeing most of their friends dead the remaining few attempted to run. Heh, they didn't get very far. After his image reappeared Hiei walked over to me, anger in his eyes. "What the hell are you doing in Makai? Didn't get enough excitement last time?" He snapped. "Hey shorty, I don't want to come to your twisted excuse for a world. It just happens and I can control it." I screamed back at him. "Shorty? I'm taller than you." Hiei snapped again. It was true; he was about an inch taller.  
  
My short fuse finally vanished. I turned heel and stalked off, again not the smartest thing I could have done, but when someone gets me mad, oh it's duck and cover. I could hear him call after me and I lengthened my stride. / "Hello." \ //Go away! \\ / "Huh? Wha I do?" \ //GO AWAY! \\ / "Okay? If you're sure." \ //Very. \\ / "Well, bye Ixi." \ //...\\ / "*sigh*" \ I started walking again but by now Hiei and Yoko had caught up. Hiei grabbed my arm and I was yanked back. "Grrr, lemme go freak." I screamed attempting to pull free. I glared, letting all my weight lean back. Hiei let go I fell on my butt. Hiei rolled his eyes and turned muttering something in a language I didn't know. "Yoko, she's your problem now." Hiei said in english. "Why are you sticking her on me?" Yoko asked in a teasing voice. "Because if I stay near her any longer, she might no longer have a head." With that last remark Hiei took off. "Hmp." I said, again stalking off. I could here Yoko sigh as he jogged to catch up.  
  
From past experiences, I knew it was better to walk away than to fight. Yoko must have know this too for he kept a distance in between me and him, small enough so he saw me and could protect me, and large enough so he wasn't imposing on me and my temper. //Why does everything bad have to happen to me? What the hell did I ever do to deserve this? \\ I yelled in my head. / "It is a gift, not the curse you take it as." \ //Whoa, hello, who the hell are you? \\ I questioned to the new female voice in my head. //Hello? Explanation please! \\ I hissed to the silence in my head. //Okay, why the hell does everyone keep talking to me through my head? \\ / "Cause everyone loves you to death." \ Cyrus was back. //Who the hell was that? \\ / "Who was who?" \ //Ugh, you're like talking to a brick. \\ / "Huh?" \ //My point is proven. \\ / "Huh? What point?" \ // *Sigh* hopeless. \\ / "Ha, gotcha. You fell for my act." \ //Act? You must be some kinda actor then. I gotta go bye. \\ I snorted and began to walk again, and by now Yoko had caught up with me. "Are you okay?" He asked. I slowly nodded hugging myself as I sat. Yoko sat down near me too, "Ixi, are you sure your okay? Please tell me what is wrong, I can sense something is wrong."  
  
I sighed bringing my knees under my chin, "I feel like I've been here before, a really long time ago, but that's impossible isn't it?" I asked turning slightly to show I was taking directly to him and not just myself. "I suppose it is possible, anything is possible I suppose, but the fact that you feel like you've been here before is only part of the problem, am I right?" I nodded again, "All my life, strange unexplained events have happened, each time it has to deal with me, either because I was there or I had just been there. Each time that event got out my parents would move to another city, start over, new schools, friends, house etc... After a while I gave up trying to start over, I refused to make any new friends, or show that I cared at all. Then I met Kyle . . ." I trailed off and glanced over at Yoko. The look on his face showed he was listening. //Man, he really looks like Kurama when he does that. \\ "So what about Kyle? Why was he different, what did he do?" Yoko asked softly, unsure how I would react.  
  
"Kyle was the nicest person I ever met. We had just moved to Hiroshi or something. On my first day of school, which started out bad, he ran into the class late and as his 'punishment' he had to show me around. At first he seemed like a jerk simply because I refused to let anyone get close, but eventually his joking attitude got to me. Time passed pretty fast and we became closer than anything I had ever experienced. He inspired me to draw, encouraging me even though I thought I couldn't, he even helped me get some friends together and start a band. We were the Ice Blue Dragons; the name was his idea. Then one night we went to a friend's concert and . . ." I trailed off, unwilling to accept it even though it had been about a year. Silent tears cascaded down my cheeks and Yoko pulled me into a one armed hug. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want too." I nodded closing my eyes. //Why do I trust him so much? Is it because he reminds me of Kurama? Kurama who said he was always open to talk to? \\  
  
A/N: ^-^ whew, nother chappie done, hope y'all like it, if you do, review tell me whatcha like, if ya don't, review tell me whatcha don't like. Thank you Miny Mars for being my only reviewer so far, if you have anything you want me to do in this story just tell me and I'll see what I can do, and keep writing your story, it looks like it has a possibility to be great. 


	12. 11 What's normal again?

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: NO, ME NO OWN YU YU HAKUSHO!  
  
Thoughts // (insert words) \\  
  
Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)" \  
  
*~* Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 11 What's Normal Again?  
  
I sighed and looked over at Yoko, his eyes were closed as he still held me in the comforting hug. I didn't bother him, in fact he seemed to enjoy my presence, unlike some I used to know.  
  
Defendant #1, Kate Linwing, preppy older girl at Kato Jr. High. Oh what a sweet innocent little girl, so why was she before my jury? Oh did I mention her favorite hobbies include looking at magazines, rating boys on her hottie system, teasing younger kids, making my life a living hell, and shopping. Oh what was that mister Chief Justice? Repeat the second to last hobby? Making my life a living hell. Oh yes, how she enjoyed it, needed it to exist in her own world of twisted illusions and dreams. And oh what a world it was, full of sick, twisted ways to torment those younger than her, Kami please never let her have children, Lord only knows what those lil' angels will be like. *cough* demons *cough* Well actually Kato was the third school I had to leave because something other than an unexplained event. Yep, Kate sported two pretty purple eyes for a couple of weeks, or so I heard.  
  
Defendant #2, Eric Jamison, poser punk looking for a fight in the wrong place. Always had a snappy comeback until he met me, oh did I ever beat him in the comebacks, I never missed a beat with that one. I would pity him except for he's the one who began the showdown of words. Takashi Elementary, my first school I was kicked out because of something I did that went explained, nice lil' report all typed up to show what happened, every word said, plus a few actions. My 'mom' nearly had a heart attack just reading what I said. Her exact words to me "Ixiada Dannia Dragona! Where in the world did you learn these words? You're only in 2nd grade!" "Uh, television mommy." Is what I said to her. Lets just say TV was supervised for a few months.  
  
Defendant #3, Samuel Articu, total wannabe. What did he wanna be? Oh just me and stuff, thought I was cool because I punched out some guy. So basically he wanted me to be his bodyguard for free. Psh, that kid had some kinda death wish or sumthin'. He picked a fight with Merrick, tough bully type, and then he had the nerve to run to me to fight for him. The poor kid was in crutches for three months, though the last one I think was just to milk all the attention he was getting from the helper people. I almost pitied him, but he learned a good life lesson with me not helping. Moral of the story: Fight your own fights because if you expect someone else to nothing gets accomplished but an extra paycheck for the doctor. :P me and my logic.  
  
Defendant #4 Miles Kimly, another prep, only a boy prep. Oh Lord strike me now lest you hear me rant about this poor excuse for a human being. Ooo, that boy, I could just choke him for all the made-up nonsense he said about me. Yeah, I'll take that and ram it right back down his ugly little throat, right back from where it came from. When my 'mom' read what I had said on that nice lil' typed report oh lord did she freak, it was worse than the first. And when she got to the second page, well I wasn't allowed anywhere for the rest of the year unless she was with me. Oh yeah, that was fun. Second school I was kicked out of, ah yes, my lovely time at Kasai Elementary, 3rd grade I do believe.  
  
I do not blame these people; I blame the people who encouraged them. But I was always "different" in those people's minds. I'm a foster kid, one of those hot potato ones, you know pass it around. From age 1-10, I was passed around; no parent couple could contain me. All those lovey dovey sickos that always say, "Oh don't worry sweetie, we don't tell anyone about your 'problems'." And yet you'll catch them in conversation with another adult saying stuff like oh Ixi is just a horrible little monster, I would hate to meet her real parents, they must be bums! After awhile, the child service people skipped over the checking of past records of the applicants for me. That sick bastard will never forget me, lets just say that. Eventually I was placed with Peter "Spook" Jackson and Emily "Nymph" Torres. Married couple who simply kept their own last names. They never forced me to call them 'mom' or 'dad'; they actually asked me to call them Spook and Nymph, which were their nicknames. They never told me how they got those names, but hearing some of their stories gave me some really good guesses.  
  
They are the only parents I have ever been with that understood me. Whenever something weird would happen they would move and take me with them. They are the best things to happen to me before Kyle came into the picture. In fact they encouraged me to go out and meet people my age. If they set a curfew it wasn't until 1, 2 o'clock in the morning, but I really only went out with Kyle and his curfew was usually midnight, and even then we were back home before then. Life was goin' good, the longest I had stayed in one place, an entire year and a half. Then that accident screwed it all up for me. Anything that's good gets taken away before I can truly enjoy it. But that is my life, no matter what happens life goes on, world keeps turning, people are born, people die, its an endless cycle of pain and joy. But for me, the pain out weighs the joy at this point.  
  
"Ixi, whatcha thinking about? You've been really quiet." I looked up; familiar green eyes met my blue ones. "Kurama? What? Where is Yoko?" I asked looking around. Kurama looked up to the sky, "Uh, he had to go somewhere." "Oh, so you're here now?" "Well I'm not there." I laughed slightly. "Ready to go home?" Kurama asked standing up. I stood up too, "More than anything." I whispered following him. He must have heard me because I saw a sympathetic look in his eyes as he chanced a look back. //What, are all these people a superman for hearing? Jeez, the only way for them not to hear me is to talk in me head, but I'm starting to wonder if even that is safe anymore. Foxy in red has left me wondering. \\ Kurama chanced another look back at me and I saw him trying to suppress a laugh. "Hey wait just one minute there, Kurama!" I yelled putting my hands on my hips. He turned around and looked at me sort of confused. "What?" "Your telepathic and you've been reading my mind haven't you!?" Kurama put his hands half way up like he was saying don't shoot. "Where'd you get that idea?" I circled around him, as if I could tell he was telepathic by looking at him.  
  
Suddenly I spun around, looking into the sky. "What?" Kurama asked looking up where I was. "What are those things? The whale thingies?" I asked pointing up at another flying group of the strange creatures. "Uh, I believe they are called uh, Ryuu-Kakudo (Dragon-Angel), a flying demon. They are relatives of dragons." Kurama started walking again, keeping an eye on the sky. "Are they dangerous?" I asked following him. "Very, the ryuu in them is very aggressive." "Oh, they seem so gentle though." "Ever since the disappearance of the dragon princess and the other royal family members." "What happened to the royals?" Kurama stopped walking and put his hand on a huge tree, a strange silverish-blue metal vine disappeared and reappeared into the dark bark of the tree. Kurama's hand began glowing green and a vortex of green energy appeared. He stepped through the vortex taking my hand. I gave one last look to the Ryuu-Kakudo before following him. //They're not bad . . . I know it. \\ As I stepped through the vortex, I felt like I was plunging through ice cold water.  
  
I opened my eyes and saw I was standing in a park in the normal world. "Welcome to the world of humans." Kurama sarcastically said. I looked around and started walking forward. "Hey Kurama, what time is it?" Kurama jogged to catch up with me and looked at his watch. "Uh around 3 o'clock, why?" "Uh, no reason." I lied as I started running to the temple. Once I got there I ran to my room and began to destroy it, or at least it looked that way. "C'mon, where is the stupid thing!?" I exclaimed turning over a pile of books. "What stupid thing?" I heard Hiei ask as he attempted to walk over to me through my room. "It's a little red book. Looks rather old, it has gold corners on the cover." I pushed another stack of books over. "Uh this one?" Hiei asked as I turned to see what he'd found. There was my book. "Yes, that's it!" I cried trying to get to the other side of the room. "What is it? A diary or something?" He asked while examining the book. His hand opened the clasp and the book opened, a couple of pages and pictures falling out. "Hey!" I cried snatching up the fallen pages.  
  
I managed to get one of the pages the exact time Hiei grabbed it. "Give it!" I cried pulled the paper. "Why? What is it?" Hiei asked while pulling harder. I could feel the paper starting to tear. "You're ripping it!" I cried as a slight tear started near the center. Hiei saw this too and let the paper go. I fell back and as I stood up I saw Hiei start to flip through the red book. I lunged at him, but he had moved before I reached him. Hiei moved again while looking at one of the fallen pictures. "Who is this?" He asked pointing to the boy in the picture. "No one." I said lunging forward to grab the picture but failing miserably. "Well why do you have a picture of no one?" Hiei asked once again dodging my attempts to reach him. "None of your business." I said trying again to get the spiky- haired boy. "Give it back Hiei!" I yelled. "Make me!" He snapped back. I lunged forward one last time, but I didn't see the pile of books. I tripped and fell hard onto the pile of books. A sharp searing pain ran through my leg. I got up, trying to ignore the pain I went to leave the room. "Ixi, are you okay?" I heard Hiei ask, but I simply ignored him. "Ixi?" Kurama's voice was the next to question me. I glared at the floor completely ignoring anyone or anything round me. I had gone into stubborn mode and nothing was going to get me out of it. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see who it was. "Ixi" A strange whisper of a voice rang out even though no one was there. "Hello? Is someone there?" "Ixi-san don't shut them out." Again no one was there but a voice was heard. "This isn't funny, who's there?" "Ixi, who ya talkin too?" I spun around and saw Yusuke looking at me with a confused face. "Oro?" I said while backing up. (Oro is like huh in Japanese I do believe) "Ixi, is something wrong?" Yusuke asked talking a step forward. "No, I'm good, nothings wrong." I turned and went to walk off, but tripped with my injured foot. "Damn!" I cursed under my breath as Yusuke came over to help me.  
  
With Yusuke helping me we hobbled to the living room. "Sit here and don't move, I'll go get Kurama to help you, he's great with this kinda stuff." Yusuke took off in search of Kurama and I was forced to stay where I was. I sighed and leaned back just as Hiei came into the room. He stopped at the door and just sorta watched me for a second. I turned my head to face the other way clearly showing I was mad at him and didn't care for anything he had to say. "Ixi . . ." He started, but I turned with more emphasis. I could hear him sigh as he walked closer. "Here, I didn't read it or anything." I saw the little red book from the corner of my eyes. I grabbed it and said nothing to him. / "Ixi-chan?" \ //Since when am I dear to you? \\ / "Uh, since never but hey, conversation is conversation, no matter what's it about." \ //True I guess. \\ / "So what's up?" \ //Oh the sun, stars, ceiling, probably a bird or two flyin' around, or a plane. \\ / "Your so weird ya know that?" \ //Ever met a normal person? \\ / "Uh, no I don't believe I have." \ //Then how can I be weird if there is no normal? \\ / "Good question, lemme get back to you on that." \ //K, so what's new on your side of the block? \\ / "Nothing much, wait I got to go bye Ixi." \ //You always have to leave, well whatever, bye. \\  
  
Ixi: It's taken me a while to update, why? Uh lemme get back to you on that, it's probably because I'm tryin to finish my other story. Well, yeah, sure, uh . . . (awkward silence) . . . Okay well I've got nothing left to say, unless I've forgotten, which is possible and I'm rambling aren't I? Well in any case Miny Mars thanks for reviewin' makes me feel so special, and if anyone has lyric requests just tell me song name and artist and I'll see what I can do. Yep and I'm goin to stop talkin now, bai ppl. 


	13. 12 I swear I didn't mean to!

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Yeah, why do people think us authors own the show we write about? I know if I did I would be makin' this into the series. So I DON'T own Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
Thoughts (insert words)   
  
Telepathic talk / "(Insert words)"   
  
Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 12 I swear I didn't mean to!  
  
"Okay, I'm going to stop for a lunch break you two." I said standing up to go back down the stairs. "No you gots to finish!" Rayden cried. "Don't worry, I will." The three of us took the steps two at a time as we made our way down to the first floor of the cabin style house. The three of us finally reached the kitchen and I took out the stuff for sandwiches. "So, what do you think of the story so far you two?" I asked starting the sandwiches. "It's good, even if it is make-believe." Rayden said taking the plate from my hands. "Make-believe?" I pried. "Duh its make-believe, there's just no way ANY of this is real." I laughed to myself and handed Chloe her plate. The look on her face told me she believed every word, but Rayden would make fun of her, so she said nothing. "Okay, I'll be right back, I just remembered I had to call someone. Finish up while I go do that." I smiled wickedly as I went to the living room. I picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. One . . . Two . . .Pick up already! "Hello?" "Konichiwa aku-neko-youkai, can I call a favor?" (Hello evil- cat-demon) I said into the receiver. "Depends on what it is Ixi-chan." "Well . . ."  
  
I finished the call and walked back into the kitchen. "Ready for the rest of the story?" "YEAH!!" They cried in unison. "Okay, where was I? Oh yes I had injured my ankle . . .  
  
I looked over the book, not trusting Hiei completely. He sighed and sat down, watching me. "So what's the book about?" He asked. I pretended not to hear him by flipping to the front and began to read it. "Your eyes are going over those pages too fast for you to be reading them." He stated. "I'm a fast reader, and this book is practically printed into my brain for as many times as I have read it." I said not taking my eyes off the page I was focused on. "So what's it about?" He asked again, and again I ignored him. I simply read on, I was almost to my favorite part of the story. "As I watched the stone skipped across the water I finally knew what she had known all along. Nothing is truer than what she had told me through her own way. You don't truly know yourself until you know another." I quietly read aloud. Hiei's gaze was once again on me as he heard the words I had read. I continued on the next page. "She who is not simply at one with the graceful spinning of the world, but the one who makes mine spin without flaw, she is my hope, my life, my . . . love. Her blue eyes know sadness and happiness, but when I look into her eyes, mine are instantly drawn to the latter. Nothing . . . nothing can keep me from awe as I watch the passion she shows in all she does." Tears fell from my eyes now as my voice cracked slightly. Kyle, you told me nothing could separate us. I was drawn from my thoughts as I felt someone brush the tears from my eyes. "Crying doesn't suit you." Is all Hiei said before he stood up and started walking towards the door. "You know what, someone else told me the exact same thing." I whispered as he stopped to look at me.  
  
Hiei leaned up against the door and watched me brush the rest of my tears away. "You should have listened to that person more then." He said before vanishing behind the door. No, I was living a lie then, just as I am now, only I was lying to my heart then. Suddenly I could hear raindrops fall on the roof. Not again . . . just what I need, more depression. I sighed and Kurama finally appeared with a first-aid kit. After examining my ankle he stood up and walked over to the open kit. "Well, good news is it's not broken." "Bad news?" I questioned. "Bad news is you shouldn't walk on it for the rest of the night." I sighed and let him bandage it. "I'll take you out to the garden so you won't be bored." Kurama said as he picked me up bridal-style. "Okey-dokey then slave, mush!" I sarcastically said as we made our way to the garden. "Haha very funny, I can drop you right now, ya know." "No you cant, your too sweet to drop me." I said as we traveled down the hall. "Oh really?" Kurama questioned as he half dropped me and I fell about half a foot. "Yep."  
  
We finally reached the garden and Botan got me a chair to sit in. The sun was starting its daily decent to the earth but it was still high in the sky. "I'll go get one of your sketchbooks." Kurama said as he vanished back into the house. It was a couple of minutes before he returned and handed me a book and some pencils. "Thanks." I said and flipped to the first blank page. Kurama sat down and looked out to the garden. Hiei was in his tree; Yukina in her garden with Kuwabara following her like a lovesick koinu (puppy), Yusuke and Keiko I was told had gone out for the night. I looked up to Hiei in his tree and saw he was watching Yukina and Kuwabara. No ideas flooded my mind and I looked to a blank page. I sighed and gazed into nothing. I hate when this happens. Tap tap tap Went the eraser on the paper. Da, da, dada, da da da da and really bad eggs. (I love that movie! XD) So bored . . . Hiei shall pay, and with an interest rate of 100%! My eyes wandered over the view before me and eventually rested on the 'sleeping' Hiei. Can you have an interest rate higher than 100%? I sighed and looked at my blank page. Then an idea hit me. I softly drew a girl, sitting on the edge of a small stream, looking into the water, but her reflection was one of a fox girl. Was that Yoko guy really real? And Hiei's dragon thing? Or is Makai just a place I have created in the recesses of my mind? Like some much else in my life. I sighed and darkened the picture so it was easier to see. I softly hummed the song that had lodged itself into my brain and refused to get out and I must have drawn Kurama's attention because the look he gave me was priceless. It was something of an entranced look mixed with one of insane happiness. "Kurama?" I asked and he seemed to snap out of it.  
  
"Kurama? Earth to red." I said as I watched him try to catch his bearings. "Oro?" He said still dazed. "You okay?" I said while tilting my head. He paused for a moment before standing up. "Yes, I'm fine, maybe just a little tired. He walked into the house, slightly tilting as he reached the door. Keiko had come back. "Kurama?" Keiko and Botan said as they both followed him into the house. Yusuke's glance caught my attention and he quickly looked away, but in that split second I saw the same look fading from his own eyes. What's up with them? I looked over to Hiei and saw he was silently rubbing his forehead, but avoiding the bandana, as if in an extreme headache. O.O . . . . . . . I looked down and rubbed my ankle slightly. It still hurt but I thought it was walkable. I hobbled over to the door and silently made my way to my room. As I passed a spare bedroom I could hear Yusuke and Kurama arguing about something and I stopped to listen when my name was mentioned.  
  
"Kurama don't deny it, Ixi's voice gave you the same exact feeling!" Yusuke raised his voice slightly. "She's not human, and you know it, so why wont you let me go to Koenma about it?" Yusuke yelled again. "Because if she is a demon or something else and Koenma finds out, he might think she's dangerous! He'll have us hunt her, and that is something I will NOT do Yusuke." Kurama said calmly, but with force. "Well I personally would like to know what she can do instead of walking blind! You felt that spell in her voice, and she was only humming! Just think what would happen if she learned how to use it. You know she's a loose pistol! If one thing would set her off in the wrong way she could actually hurt or kill someone!" Kurama stayed silent and I could feel myself back in fear. My breath became short and I took off to my room despite the pain. I sat on my bed after locking the door and curled into a ball. So all the weird stuff that goes unexplained is somehow my fault? So I killed Kyle? This was too much, hot tears ran down my face as I tried staying quiet.No . . . no I'm not a killer, I'm not! I tired convincing myself, but my own words came back hollow and meaningless.  
  
Then I heard a gentle knocking on my locked door. "Ixi, can I come in? We need to talk." It was Kurama. I froze with a sudden fear, then looked to my clock. 8:59 . . . 9:00 Good, I'll just pretend I went to bed early. I laid out on my bed and brought the covers to just underneath my chin. I closed my eyes as I heard Kurama searching to the key on top of the door's molding. (Shh, don't tell anyone. It's a secret :P) He must have found it because my door softly clicked open. He stopped at the door and I could feel him watch me. "Sorry Ixi, but you'll have to wake up." He whispered as I heard him come closer. Then I heard a faint hiss and Kurama stumble backwards. "CRICKET!" I heard him yell as the cat's claws scurried out of the room. "Baka Neko!" Kurama mumbled as started to come closer, occasionally knocking over a stack of books. Kurama finally reached me and sat on the edge of my bed. I closed my eyes to look as natural as possible as his hand rested on my shoulder. "Ixi, get up. We need to talk, its urgent." He whispered in my ear. My heart raced and I simply mumbled gibberish as if I was really sleeping. "Ixi, I KNOW you're not asleep." Kurama said flatly. I closed my eyes tighter and flipped over to curl into a ball. Kurama grabbed me around my waist and dragged me to the edge of my bed. "LEMME GO!" I screamed as I tried fighting his strong grasp. I managed to kick him so he let me go and I tried to run for it. Kurama grabbed my arm and held fast. I twisted but was unable to free myself. Tears of hot rage streamed down my cheeks. "I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT. IT WAS JUST TOO PERFECT TO BE REAL!" I screamed as I knelt to the ground. "Ixi please, we just don't want anyone to get hurt." Kurama pleaded. "Go burn in hell!" I snapped as I glared at him. "Ixi-"No I'm sick of your lies. Your lies and everyone else's. My whole life has been just one goddamn lie after another! You have no idea what I've been through, just leave me alone!" I yelled pulling back.  
  
Kurama's green eyes filled with sympathy. "Don't you dare give me that! I heard you and Yusuke talking!" The sympathy turned from shock and then to shame. "Ixi, please let me explain-"No you've done enough." I felt filled with the suppressed anger I had built up from my life. I tried on last attempt to get free and my left hand flew up to slap Kurama, but instead a strange wind like blade shot from my finger tips and hit Kurama's cheek. He was forced back, and he hit the wall hard. He didn't move for about a minute, but I didn't go anywhere. I was too scared and shocked. When Kurama finally pulled himself out of the wall, I could see blood running down his face from a cut on his cheek. He looked both scared and surprised at the sudden outburst. I stood there shaking in fear. What the HELL was that? I said in my head for I was unable to speak. "Kurama, are you okay? I swear I didn't do anything." I gasped as Kurama tried to wipe the blood off his cheeks but only smeared it so his whole cheek was a bloody red-orange. He held up his now bloody hand and didn't say anything. Then he reached up and touched his cheek again; blood still ran from the wound. "I know Ixi, but still we should go see Koenma about this, to make sure your not dangerous. I nodded numbly as he took my hand and led me out of the room. His hand was still over the cut to stop the bleeding. "Who's Koenma by the way?" I asked as Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara came out from the dining room with shocked looks on their faces. "Kurama?" They all asked. "Let's go." Is all Kurama said as he took a cloth from Keiko, who had just came into the hall. "Here Kurama, I'll go get you some bandages." She said as she disappeared into another doorway down the hall. She returned shortly and helped Kurama fix the bandage on his cheek. "So Ixi isn't human?" Kuwabara asked as he watched Keiko help Kurama. "Duh baka nigen, it took you this long?" Hiei snapped as he glared at Kuwabara. "WHAT? HIEI YOU KNEW!?" Yusuke yelled which didn't faze Hiei in the slightest. "It was painfully OBVIOUS, and you call yourself a detective." Hiei said, his crimson orbs not leaving my face. "Hey three eyes, I wouldn't push your luck." Kuwabara hissed. Three eyes? They're taking this humoring me thing a bit over the top, aren't they? "We're not humoring you Ixi, all the stuff you've seen over the past week or so has been real." Kurama said as he winced from Keiko cleaning the cut. "I knew it, you are telepathic!" I cried pointing an accusing finger at his nose. He put his hands up in a half-surrender. "You got me." He said jokingly. "Bang!" I said as I put me hand into a gun shape and pulled the "trigger". "Hey who's this Koenma person-thingy-whatever anyway?" "Ruler of Reikai." Kurama said as he double-checked the bandage. "Reikai? So just how many world places are there?" I asked confused. "Reikai, Makai, and Nigenkai." "Oh so a stiff?" I asked as I leaned on the wall. "Er, not exactly. You'll see."  
  
Ixi: Hey anybody who is reading this. glares at those who don't review Well thanks Miny Mars for being the only reviewer. Oh yeah, sorry about takin so long to update, I was tryin to finish my other story (which I did, now just gots to post the last chappie) and I sorta neglected this story. pats story on head I'm sorry for neglecting you Me and the Penguin Army, I try not to do it again. Well I don't know why I bother, but please review for me, flames are okey-dokey okay, if me did sumthin wrong, like wrong Japanese words, mixed dates, etc . . . just tell me and I'll try to fix it. Well review. Up, Up and AWAY! :P  
  
Note for those who don't know:  
  
Makai – Demon World Reikai – Spirit World (And Rei Gun = Spirit Gun / Rei = Spirit) Nigenkai – Human World 


	14. 13 Koenma?

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Yes, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
A/N: Hey I'm happy, someone else reviewed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Thoughts (insert words)   
  
Telepathic talk "(Insert words)"   
  
Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 13 Ko-en-ma?  
  
I kept glancing over at Kurama; his cheek was covered in the bandage. Great, ya really screwed this one up Ixi! I thought yelling to myself. I followed the gang out to the garden; the silvery moonlight clothing everything it touched in a milky white cloth. I looked down at my feet and followed, but there was a nagging feeling someone was watching me. I looked up and I saw Hiei glancing at me from the corner of his eye, but when he saw me looking at him I swear he blushed while looking forward. HIEI BLUSHED! World's goin to end now, yep all goin to die in a horrible death of pink flames 'cause pink is the color of the apocalypse (Seriously, I read it on a quiz :P) I looked down again but rammed into Yusuke when he stopped without warning. "Oro?" I said looking up. "K Botan, hurry up and take us to pacifier-breathe." Yusuke said completely ignoring me. "Right-o Yusuke SIR!" I stared blankly at Botan. She was in a pink kimono and floating in mid-air on an oar. Okay, why do things get weirder before they get saner? "Right this way ladies and gentlemen, watch your step as you leave Nigenkai and enter REIKAI!" Botan cried as she ushered everyone through a glowing portal.  
  
I stared at it; little scared and a little excited . . . then someone took my hand firmly in his or her. I looked up to see whom, but they had already stepped through the portal, pulling me with them. I looked around the place I had found myself in, the dimensional portal, it was mostly blue light with lighter blue streaks every no and again. I could see Botan, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama ahead of me, but the last person I had expected to see doing this was, Hiei was the one who had taken my hand in his. Hiei . . . Suddenly we sped up and Hiei's hold on my hand got tighter. Once through the other side I could see a huge . . . a huge palace thingy. And I mean HUGE! "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the enterance to Reikai, and thank you for traveling with Pilot of the River Styx Travel Systems, thank you again and enjoy your stay." Botan said as she jumped off her oar and walked right up to the huge door. "Koenma sir, we have an interesting case we'd like you to check into." Botan said into a com. device on the door. "WHAT! I'M BUSY, But come in anyway." Came a VERY cranky voice from the other end. The door opened and I followed everyone in, Hiei had left to join the rest of the gang, but was still the closest.  
  
We traveled down the long hallway, which in my opinion resembled a throat, for what like seemed like forever. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? I questioned myself too scared to say anything aloud. "Almost." Hiei muttered under his breath, but directed at me. Ah, not Hiei too, are all these people telepathic!? I cried, earning a small smile from Hiei. Haha so funny! I dryly said giving him a two-second glare. "I know, you should be a stand-up comic." Came the sarcastic voice of Hiei in my head. How often do you people do this? "Do what?" Go into my mind with no permission of any kind from me! I exclaimed. "Oh, only when we're bored. Your mind's like an open-book." I lengthened the glare I was giving him as I walked on. Hey Hiei, if I ask you a question, will you answer it? "Depends, what's the question and why are asking it?" Why don't you tell Yukina you're her brother? I must have struck a nerve with that one because Hiei didn't say anything. Hiei, I'm sorry. I said to see if he was still in the recesses of my mind. He must have left because he didn't respond.  
  
Walking down the throat-like hallway seemed to take forever, but before I could react we where in . . . The demon's stock exchange! Ogres of many colors, and other strange looking creatures bolted from one desk to another occasionally shouting out, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN JOHNSON IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION!" "CRITICAL WHAT? HE'S AHEAD OF SCHEDULE!" "I NEED THAT PAPERWORK FOR CHRISTINE NOW!" I stared blankly at the figures dashing to and fro, carrying mountains of paperwork, or a phone with a cord just yay too short, and one was even fumbling with a large spike covered club. "C'mon Ixi!" Came the annoyed snap of Yusuke. I nodded dumbly and hurried to catch up, almost knocking over a stack of papers carried by one of the ogres. "Sorry!" I cried as I tried running backwards to apologize. "Baka nigen!" I heard him mutter as he picked up a piece of paper that had fallen.  
  
I ended up ramming into Hiei, who just Hn'd and stiffened. "Sorry." I muttered not making eye contact. "In there Ixi." Yusuke said pointing to a slightly open door. I walked in alone, glancing back at the gang as I took the final step in. For all I could see, the room was empty of all life, only a desk almost completely covered in paper stacks. "Hello?" I said unsure. Then I saw one of the paper stacks having paper taken off it at a fast rate. "Hello?" I said louder. "Back to life? Why not? Special powers? Sure!" This and other things were heard from behind the mass of papers. Sounds like a kid. "HELLO!" I said even louder and the muttering stopped. I walked up so that I would see the other side if the desk, and in the chair was a baby. I fell over anime style. "Ah you must be Ixiada." I stood up, a surprised look on my face. "Heh, this is funny, a baby? Ruler of Reikai?" I said sarcastically. The baby got a very sour look on his face. "Revere me and bow down to me." He said in a flat voice.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Right, even if you are royalty or whatever, there is NO way I'm bowin' down." I said while glaring slightly. "Yep, you're Ixi alright." The baby muttered while starting to search for a paper in the mountain. "Have a seat Ixi, right over there." Koenma pointed to a chair on the far side of the room and I walked over and sat down. After about two second the whole mountain of papers came crashing down as Koenma pulled out a single piece of paper. "BOTAN GET IN HERE!" He cried standing on his desk. Botan rushed in. "What is it Koenma sir?" She asked a little breathless. "You're going to have to hold Ixi down when I take a blood sample." "HEY WAIT JUST ONE SECOND!" I yelled jumping up from my seat. "Nobody gave you any permission to take blood samples, you're not my doctor!" At the sound of my screaming the rest of the gang rushed in with a 'where's the fire?' type of look on their faces. "Kurama you grab one arm, and Yusuke take the other, I'll need the blood sample to see if she's a demon or not." Kurama and Yusuke glanced at each other and half gulped as the slowly began to walk towards me.  
  
Once they had a tight grip on my arms Koenma pulled out a big syringe to take the blood. "Just know you two, I won't forget this." I muttered while I gave each a glare. I continued to mutter threats until Koenma had finally walked towards me with the needle. It pierced my arm just below the shoulder and I watched as blue blood began to fill the glass. Wait, blue? I asked myself and the needle was taken out. "Blue blood? What the hell is she?" Yusuke asked, looking at the blue liquid. "That's what we intend to find out Yusuke." Koenma said waddling back over to his desk. "Whatever is in you Ixi, it wanted to disguise itself well, you are obviously wondering why you are just now seeing the blue?" I nodded. "Hmm, what kind of demon has blue blood though?" Koenma muttered putting his chin in his hand. "Dragons." Hiei muttered, but everyone heard him and turned to stare at him. "Absurd! Dragons are extinct and they never had the ability for something of this extravagance!" Koenma exclaimed. Hiei muttered something like fool or idiot as he shook his head and walked out of the room.  
  
"Are you finished with me?" I asked impatiently and Koenma nodded, still glaring in the direction Hiei had left in. "Ja ne." I muttered following the same path Hiei had taken. Once out in the hall though, Hiei was nowhere to be seen. So I began to walk in no particular direction, but soon found myself lost. After passing what seemed to be the same statue for the third or fourth time I stopped and sat down. There wasn't anyone around; I was completely alone, and lost. "Good goin' Ixi." I muttered looking down each passageway. "Lost?" I looked up; Hiei was standing above me with the cleverest little smirk on his face. "Nope, I just don't know where I am right now." I sarcastically said standing up. "Oh well in that case, I'll just leave you alone . . ." Hiei's voice was thick with sarcasm as he began to walk away. "Get back here!" I cried running after him. He glanced behind him before vanishing into thin air. I stopped and looked around for him. "Oro?" I said looking everywhere from that spot.  
  
"You lose." I heard Hiei snicker as I felt a blade of a katana against my neck. I froze as the cold steel touched my skin. We stood frozen like that for what felt like an eternity before Hiei softly took the blade down. I began to shake very slightly from the closeness of the blade even though it was gone and Hiei must have noticed. "Ixi?" He questioned softly reaching out to touch my shoulder, but I shied away from his hand. "Ixi?" He said again as he once again tried to reach for my shoulder. "NO STAY AWAY!" I screamed falling to my knees. I couldn't understand why I wasn't letting him touch me but there was a strong urge to get as far away as possible. Then a sudden, almost like something inside me wanted out feeling took over my body. A strong wind appeared from nowhere and both Hiei and me were caught in its strong current. Hiei was trying to reach me through the current and I tried to get away. "Ixi, let me help you out of here!" Hiei yelled over the rushing wind. "NO DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed as he took hold of my wrist.  
  
Things went from bad to worse just as I felt his skin touch mine. A searing pain was shooting through my wrist and when I looked up at Hiei, he was surrounded by a purplish-black aura. Then the presence within me took control; I pulled away from Hiei's grasp and took hold of his own wrist. I kept gripping his wrist until blood came from where my nails dug into his skin. "Ixi let go!" Hiei cried, and I heard something in his voice I had never thought I would hear, fear. "I can't Hiei, something is controlling me!" I screamed as I felt another urge from the presence. The aura surrounding Hiei began to flow towards my hand and I could feel Hiei's wrist get really hot, but as the aura began to disappear his skin began getting colder, until it was almost freezing. I felt like I was going to black out and the wind began to disappear. I fell to the floor and I could hear Hiei thud to the ground too. Just as my vision began to black out I could see Hiei lying next to me, unconscious with several cuts all over his body. "Hiei . . ." I whispered in pain just as I blacked out. Why does anyone I get close to get hurt? Was my last thought as I drifted to unconsciousness.  
  
Ixi: Well, I'm actually surprised, I haven't left almost any of these chapters in cliffies, except for now so - Review responses below: (Two people (Does happy dance)  
  
To Ermanil Luinedhel Elfobbit: (did I spell that right? O.o) I'm glad you've been with my story since the beginning, and I know, it's hard to review sometimes, but I'm glad you did. Keep readin'.  
  
To Miny Mars: Poor computer (lays flowers on grave) Its okay that you haven't been able to review lately, but you gots to update your story (write Miny Mars write!) I will keep writin'. - 


	15. 14 Hiei meet Nymph

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Nope, me no own Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
Thoughts (insert words)   
  
Telepathic talk "(Insert words)"   
  
Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 14 Hiei meet Nymph  
  
I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in a pale blue room that had many hospital-style beds, and on one of those beds was Hiei. He was sleeping, and for the most part, peacefully, only an occasional wince of pain showed he was hurt. I couldn't see any external wounds; he mostly looked pale and tired. Hiei . . . Then the throbbing headache came and I lowered myself back into the bed and half-closed my eyes. It seemed to be just in time too because Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara all came into the room to check up on us. I quickly closed my eyes to listen to what they had to say. "Well, it appears they are still asleep." Kurama murmured quietly as his footsteps approached my bed. He put his hand on my forehead. "Looks like her temp went down though. It seems Hiei's fire aura didn't have as great of an affect as we first anticipated." "I guess, but still what did she do and how did she do it?" Yusuke asked as I heard him trudge over to where Hiei's bed was. "I couldn't tell you Yusuke, none of us were there and therefore have no idea what happened, or why, or how." "This is still confusing me guys, your saying Ixi stole Hiei's spirit energy?" Kuwabara asked. "I suppose you could put it that way Kuwabara." I did what now? I exclaimed in my head. "Well since there is no change we should leave." Kurama said, and I heard three pairs of feet walk out the door.  
  
I reopened my eyes and looked over in Hiei's direction. He was still sleeping peacefully. I sighed and moved to the edge of my bed so my legs dangled off the side. "Hiei, I am so sorry." I whispered looking down to my dangling feet. "Do you always apologize to people you think are unconscious?" I looked up and Hiei's crimson eyes met my blue ones. I blushed slightly and looked back down to my feet. "So how are you taking all this?" He asked me. I looked up to the ceiling. "Taking what?" I asked, trying to avoid the question. "Taking all the stuff that has happened lately." I sighed as he finished. I tried to think of what to say, to put to words what my life has been like, without telling him who I was. "Ixi?" Hiei asked and I could feel his curious gaze. "My whole life has been taking stuff I don't want, why should this be any different?" As my eyes swept the room they landed on Hiei's face. For someone not willing to show emotion much, he was sure showing it now. His eyes held a curious and yet sympathetic look in them that I have seen in few people. My entire life people have pretended to be sympathetic, but you can see it in their eyes they weren't being true. Hiei's gaze and a scarce few others were one of the true looks.  
  
Not trusting myself to believe it I looked up to the ceiling again. "Hey Hiei . . . do you think it would be possible for me to go back home . . . for just one day?" I asked, afraid to look him in the eye. "It depends, you would have to take it up with, as Detective likes to call him, Pacifier breath." I smiled slightly at his remark and leaned back onto my bed. "What have I said about calling me that?" I shot up at the sound of Pacifier-er I mean Koenma's voice. "I don't know, I'll bring it up the next time I talk to Detective." Hiei quipped as he settled down into the bed for what appeared to be a rather comfortable nap. Koenma glared over in his direction but didn't pursue the topic. "All better?" Koenma said turning to me. His voice sounded flat and annoyed. "Uh . . ." I said trying to look away. "Depends." I finally said. Koenma rolled his eyes. "Depends on what?" "Depends on what I was suppose to get better in, ya know I haven't really been practicing much of anything lately." Koenma sighed and walked over to sit on the edge of my bed. "That's not what I meant." I pulled myself to the corner of the bed and put my knees under my chin, gazing into nothingness. "We got the test results on your blood back." "And?" I asked not looking up. "Dragon." Hiei replied mockingly. "Grrr, yes Hiei, the blue blood is that of a dragon. How do you know so much about dragons anyway?" Koenma asked as he turned to Hiei. "I've seen enough carcasses of them to identify their blood." I shuddered slightly. "Why was their race ordered to be exterminated anyway?" Kurama's voice entered the room. Koenma grimaced at this question slightly. "My dad thought they were becoming too powerful for their own good." The baby ruler bowed his head. "Ixi is more than likely the last of her kind." I began to slightly shake at this, but I tried not to make it extremely visible. "What about Ixi's parents, wouldn't they be dragon too?" Kuwabara asked.  
  
No, no, no any question but that! I screamed in my head. "Please, please I just want to go home!" I begged, something I have not done in a while. Koenma nodded his head. "Hiei, since you're the only one who doesn't have to be somewhere today, you'll be guarding her." Hiei rolled his eyes but nodded. "Right, we'd better get back to school." Kurama said pushing Yusuke and Kuwabara out the door. "Why? I'm just going to skip!" Yusuke protested. "We'll let Keiko deal with that." Kurama said giving Yusuke one final push out the door. "Keiko! No need to tell her Kurama!" I waited a few minutes until I couldn't hear them anymore. "Ready?" Hiei asked as he got off the bed. I nodded and followed. A few minutes later I found myself in one of the parks near my apartment. "I've got to go talk to Nymph." I whispered and started in that direction. "Who's Nymph? A sister or something?" Hiei asked as he jogged to keep up with me. I stayed quiet, realizing what I had just said out loud. Please don't force it Hiei, I don't want the way you look at me to change. I glanced back at Hiei, he was looking elsewhere. Thank you, thank you, thank you!   
  
The two of us soon found ourselves at the apartment building and we made our way to the elevator. Unfortunately by the time we got there it had several people cramming themselves into it. I turned around and led the way to the stairs. At the time the apartment building had been filled up almost all the way so Spook, Nymph and my apartment was on the third floor. I darted up the stairs in silence closely followed by Hiei. One . . . . . Two . . . . . And three. I slammed my shoulder into the heavy fire door that led from the staircase to the floors. Room 224 was close to the stairs so we didn't travel far before we were there. I pulled out the silver colored key and unlocked the door. Spook must be working and Nymph out for today. I thought as I surveyed the quiet room. "Uh make yourself at home." I said as I waited outside the room with the door open. Hiei walked in, but waited for me to get into the room before going much farther.  
  
I walked over to the fridge and opened the freezer door. "Care for some sweet snow?" (A.k.a. Ice cream) I asked leaned past the door of the freezer to look at Hiei. He shrugged his shoulders and I took the carton out. "All we got is vanilla though so sorry if it ain't your fav." Hiei shrugged again, now looking around the apartment. As I found two bowls and spoons, I went in search for the scooper. "Here scooper, scooper, scooper!" I cried as I dug through a drawer filled with kitchen utensils. My hand brushed against a knife in the drawer. "OWWW!" I cried, pulling back my hand. I watched the blue blood slowly run from the cut. Hiei rushed into the kitchen. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. He saw the blood run down my finger and he quickly grabbed a napkin. He wrapped it around the cut, putting pressure on it to stop the bleeding. "Thanks." I mumbled as I pulled back my hand. Hiei let go of my hand after realizing what he had done. He quickly turned around so his back faced me, but I saw that blush on his cheeks.  
  
I quickly made my way to the bathroom to clean my cut and bandage it. Hiei followed, but kept avoiding my curious glances. After I put an antibiotic cream on the cut I reached for the bandages. All the time, Hiei's gaze never left me unless I looked at him. He's so cute when he is nervous. Wait, I didn't just think that, did I? I'm loosin' it. Just as I was finishing with the bandage on I heard the front door open. "Nymph must be home." I said standing up. I walked out of the bathroom and made my way to the kitchen, Hiei following me the whole time. "Who is Nymph?" Hiei asked again and once again I avoided the question. When we reached the kitchen, my "mom's" surprised face greeted us. "Ixi! I thought you were still with your friends." The delicate brown haired woman exclaimed. I smiled. "Yeah, I just thought I'd check in with you guys, I sorta need to do that or the Home people go insane." At the mention of the word Home Hiei shot a glance over at me, which I presently avoided. "Who's your friend dear?" Nymph said as Hiei caught her attention. "Nymph this is Hiei and vise-versa." I sarcastically said. Nymph held out her hand to shake Hiei's, but he just stared at it. "Hiei I swear, you must have grown up in a different world or something." I muttered nudging him forward. "You have no idea." He whispered back as he finally took her hand.  
  
"Ixi since you are hear can I have a word in private?" Nymph said as she started down the hall. "Sure." I said following her and motioning Hiei to stay where he was. Nymph led me through the house to her and Spook's bedroom. "Sweet little fire youkai isn't he?" Nymph asked, a smile on her face. I looked at her in shock. "What do you mean?" I said, not sure whether to reveal Hiei's true race. "Oh don't worry dear, I'm not one to go blabbing my own secret." I stared at her more. "What do you mean, "my own secret"?" I asked. Nymph smiled and walked over to her jewelry box, taking out a necklace. It was a double dragon one; one dragon was serpentine and its snake like body wrapping around one with wings. "Here Ixi, this is yours by birthright. It belonged to your mother and she asked me to give it to you when I thought the time would be right. Hiei works for Koenma, am I right?" Nymph asked as she put the necklace around m neck. I nodded and looked down at the silver pendant. "I also, in one way or another." I froze. "You're a demon?" I asked turning around.  
  
Nymph smiled sweetly. "Yes, a dryad of a beech tree." I sat down on the bed, confused. "I'm a sort of fairy if you will. Spook is a horse demon, sort of like a centaur. Given permission from Koenma we came to Reikai to live in peace and later to take care of you. We knew your father and mother before they died, and I see it as a crying shame they killed your race." As I reached up for my necklace I could feel my hand shaking. "If you knew, why didn't you tell me?" Nymph walked over and took a seat next to me. "You were safer off not knowing, your life was already hard enough, thrown in the paranormal into a teen's life and it just becomes harder. And there was always a chance you would use your power against people for other reasons to defend yourself." I leaned my head on Nymph's shoulder as tears ran down my cheeks. I looked over at her and saw she had changed. Nymph was now wearing a plant like dress; dragonfly like wings came from her back and glowed a golden color. Nymph's brown hair turned a green-gold color and flew up everywhere as her wings began to beat to lift her off the ground. Her skin was a rich peach-green and seemed to glow with the rest of her. I stared in astonishment and I could hear Hiei running down the hall towards us. The door was slammed open as Hiei came in, katana ready. "Hiei no." I said. Nymph smiled and hovered over to him. "Don't worry, Koenma knows I'm here little fire youkai." Hiei scoffed at being called little and blushed at the next thing Nymph said. "Ixi sweetie, you really snagged a cute one." I sighed. "Not a love interest Nymph."  
  
"Oh really?" Nymph said with a smirk. "Cause I saw the way he was looking at you." I blushed a deep crimson red and gazed over at Hiei who seemed to be blushing redder. Nymph changed back to her normal human form and, smiling, left the room. Hiei was looking down, trying to avoid my gaze. Hiei, like me? No way! But he is sorta-wait no, no way. In barely a second, Hiei had disappeared out of the room, leaving me alone. I sighed and went to find him. It took me a while, but in the end he was on the roof gazing into the sun. "You know, that'll hurt your eyes." I said, taking a seat right next to him. "Nope." He muttered. I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder. I felt him tense up. I watched two birds fly across the sun as two black specks. Then an idea hit me. I took one of his hands and put it over my heart. "Tell me what you feel." I said. "Your heart beat." Hiei said while rolling his eyes. Next I put his hand on his heart. "Now what do you feel?" "My heart beat, I don't see the point in this." "Shhhh." I said putting my finger on his lips to silence him. "Tell me the difference." I said as I pulled back my hand. "The difference in what?" Hiei asked, looking at me confused. "The difference in our heart beats." I simply said. Hiei was about to answer when he became lost for words. "See, no difference. People look so much to what makes us different, but its what makes us the same that defines who we are." I leaned my head back on his shoulder. I closed my eyes, taking in his warmth. "Thanks Ixi." Hiei whispered. I smiled to let him know I was listening.  
  
Ixi: Hey look, another reviewer! :) My day just got so much better. :) Twists and turns the entire way. :) Not to mention a little hint of love for Hiei. ;) So yeah, on to review responses.  
  
To Starkitty: I'm glad you like my story so much and that you said it was well-written, well thought out and you like the way I present my characters. Yeah 'bout that spelling, thank God for spell check. I'll have to think about the tittle and genre but hey, I'm happy writing for a few people who enjoy my work.  
  
FYI: I'll be gone for the weekend on a vacation so I won't be able to update (or even write) until I get back so it might take awhile for this to get updated. 


	16. 15 A Night to Remember

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Yu Yu Hakusho? Me own it? Ha! Stop making me laugh  
  
Thoughts (insert words)   
  
Telepathic talk "(Insert words)"   
  
Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 15 A Night to Remember  
  
A sudden breeze picked up and I shivered slightly. "Cold?" Hiei asked as I watched him glance from the corner of his eye. I rubbed my arms to make the goose bumps go away. "I'm fine." I mumbled while watching a pigeon land on a telephone wire. I sighed and shivered again. A sudden swing of a black cloak startled me and I looked over at Hiei as I drew the cloak tighter around my shoulders. "Thanks." I said as I let my legs drop off the side of the apartment roof. I quickly glanced over at Hiei to make sure he wasn't too cold with out his cloak and noticed his katana. "Are you a good teacher?" I asked while staring at the katana. "Why do you want to know?" Hiei asked following my gaze. "Could you teach me to fight?" When he didn't say anything for a couple of seconds I looked the opposite way to not let him see I was disappointed. "What kind of fighting?" I stood up and handed him back his cloak. "Just forget it, never mind, I never said anything." I quickly sprinted down the stairs and out the main door of the building to the sidewalks next to the busy streets.  
  
Weaving in and out of traffic I made my way to the café where the talent show was to be held. I spoke with the director of the show and after a few minutes, had myself withdrawn from the show. Sighing, I quickly walked out of the café and let myself get caught in the rush hour crowds. I wonder where Cyrus has been lately. I got jammed in the ribs for what seemed like the fourth or fifth time and decided to get out of the crowd. Fortunately there was a park nearby and I soon found an empty bench to sit in. I sighed and laid out on the bench to think about everything. Okay, I've been a hot potato foster kid my whole life, strange things would always happen and go without explanation. Couple years ago I finally found a family that stuck and a boy who understands me. Super big weird event, me and my family pack up and come here where I meet Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei plus several other strange people. I go to a place they call Makai and run for my life several times. Upon a visit to Reikai I meet Koenma who suspects I am a demon thingy. He gets a blood test; results come back that I am a demon. I also discover I am the last of my kind because someone-up-on-his-high-horse thought my race was growing too powerful. Speaking of demons, Nymph, Spook, and Hiei all turn out to be demon people too. The others I don't know so I can't say. "Do you mind?" I came out of my thoughts and quickly shifted from a laying position to a sitting one so Hiei could sit down.  
  
Once he was seated I went back into my laying position with my head on his lap. "You look comfortable." Hiei slyly said as I closed my eyes. "Eh." I mumbled as I shifted slightly. "So were you serious about the learning to fight thing?" I shifted again, not answering him. "Ixi?" Hiei asked while tapping my forehead. "No." I said flatly as I shifted again and brushed away his hand. "No what?" "No." I mumbled again in a whining voice. Hiei loudly sighed. "Ixi, I'll teach you to fight only if you're serious about it." "No!" I whined again. "Why do you keep saying no? You're the one who asked me in the first place!" "NO!" I wailed again. I could almost picture Hiei's frustration. "You're impossible." Hiei muttered. "No." I whined. "Stop saying NO." Hiei snapped and I felt his glare. "No." A sudden burst of wind sent me shivering and once again I found Hiei's cloak draped over me. "No." I said as I pushed the fabric off me. Quick as a dart, I sat up and jumped off the bench. I ran through the park with Hiei in close pursuit.  
  
I looked back to see how far Hiei was behind me and saw he had disappeared. I stopped and looked around while scratching my head. "Huh?" I said looking around. "Gotcha." I jumped as Hiei's hand grabbed my shoulder. "No fair!" I protested as he drew me into his arms. "Sorry, I don't play by the rules." Hiei whispered in my ear. I smirked and quickly twisted out of his hug. "Neither do I." I cried as I took off at a run again. I soon found myself at an empty playground. I looked around and then jogged over to the swings. I easily found the tallest one and I sat in it and began pumping my legs. From up in the air I could see Hiei walking over to where I was and the funniest smirk on his face. Upon my descent I drug my feet in the sand so I would stop. When the swing was only going a few feet off the ground I jumped and landed in a gymnast pose. "Ta-da!" I cried as Hiei leaned up against the pole of the swings. Hiei looked at me like I was crazy and I went back to the swing and sat down.  
  
I began to gently rock back and forth, my blue eyes never leaving Hiei's face. He was so curious, yet so reserved at the same time. I smiled and began to pump harder again until I was almost soaring above the top bar. When I was at the highest point I could see over the many trees to the horizon hidden behind the many buildings. The sun had set and darkness began to creep across the sky, but I didn't care. I could have stayed there forever, forever in the moment I thought I would never have again. So at peace with everything, nothing left unsaid, undone or unfelt. "Ixi . . . when you were talking to Nymph earlier, you said something about a 'home', what is it?" I practically fell out of the swing. I drug my feet hard in the sand to stop. "Uh . . ." I didn't want to tell him, I couldn't. Every time someone found out I lived in an orphanage, they would never look at me the same. I didn't want to break the new thing I had going with Hiei. My perfect moment was shattered to a million pieces.  
  
My gaze locked with Hiei's. I sat there in frozen terror, unable to think of a way out. I looked down to my feet and took a deep breath. "The 'Home' is a place where parents who are unable to take care of, or simply don't want them, put their kids. Then the kid is transferred to another person's home and if they hit it off, the person can adopt the kid, if not then the kid can be sent back to the 'Home' and then put in someone else's house. And it will continue until you find a good home or your old enough to legally live on your own." I waited for some snippy remark that usually came after someone learned the truth, but Hiei didn't utter a word. He simply walked over from where he was leaning against the pole to the swing next to me. "If you don't want me to tell anybody else, I won't." I looked up at him; he was gazing up at the stars that had begun to appear in the night sky. "Thanks." I whispered as I began to pump my legs to go higher. "So were you serious about learning to fight? I can teach you, but only if you're serious about it." I smiled as I went higher. "Sounds like a plan." I was level with the top pole when I let myself fly with the force of the swing. I did a flip just before I landed and struck a pose. I spun around to see Hiei smugly grin at my showoff-y-ness. "I know, I'm crazy, got a problem with it?" I asked as I spun around in a circle while stretching. "You are not crazy, Yusuke and Kuwabara are crazy, believe me, I've had to work with them for a while now." I smiled and went back to my swing that was still rocking back and forth from my jump. "Nope, I'm the craziest one of all, you just don't know it yet."  
  
I sighed and sat back down. Rocking back and forth I watched Hiei. He caught onto my gaze and our eyes locked for a fraction of a second before I looked away. Why do I feel this way? Every time I feel his gaze on me I get so . . . embarrassed. Can it really be something I've tried to avoid for so long? A breeze kicked up again and I trembled as my skin felt the cool air pass over it. I stood up and began to walk to get warm, with Hiei right behind me. The two of us passed a few couples tenderly kissing and whatnot, and it made me feel uncomfortable. Finally we came upon a bench that was secluded from the others in the park. I sat down and once Hiei sat down I rested my head on his shoulder. I quietly closed my eyes and took in the warmth he gave off. Without my realizing it I had drifted off to sleep, an extremely peaceful one with no dreams.  
  
What seemed like barely minutes later I awoke to a dimly lit room. The bed was extremely soft, the kind you sink right down into. I was covered in silky midnight-blue sheets that had beautiful embroidery on the top. The room's only light was coming from blue glass covered candles and it gave a beautiful glow to the room. I scanned the room and saw Hiei softly asleep in a dark blue chair. I looked down and thankfully I was in my own clothes. "Well this is some place I didn't expect to wake up in." I whispered as I slid out of bed. I heard a gentle knock on the door and I braced myself for an attack, but instead Yoko's head peeped through the slightly open door. "So you are awake after all." "Er . . . I suppose so, yeah." Yoko smiled at my answer and walked into the room. "So uh . . . what am I doing here?" I asked while looking around the ornate room. "I brought you here because Koenma wished to have a word with you." "So I'm in Reikai?" I asked as I sat in the bed and gazed over at Hiei. "No actually you're in Makai, this is one of my houses that I have er, . . . acquired. I was letting you sleep a little before seeing Koenma." I nodded to show I comprehended what he was saying.  
  
"If you want to take a bath or anything like that there are clothes in that closet and a bathroom down the hall and to the right." I nodded again still looking at Hiei. Yoko left the room with a soft click of the door and I laid down on the bed. Rather bored, I began to trace the stitches on the comforter. "Am I just kidding myself here?" I asked to no one, and no one answered. "Kidding yourself about what?" I spun around and saw Hiei's eyes opened and watching me. "Uh . . . nothing, nothing at all." I quickly said, maybe a little too quickly because Hiei gave me a disbelieving look, but following his nature, did not pursue the subject. I sighed and curled into a ball. "Ixi, what's wrong?" Hiei gently asked as he came over to the bed and sat on the edge. "Nothing, I'm fine." The next thing that happened was not in Hiei's nature. "Ixi, tell me what's wrong." I looked away from his gaze. "Nothing is wrong, just drop it." Hiei sighed deeply. "Ixi, I know there is something wrong, tell me." I winced as Hiei's hand gently grasped my shoulder. "Ixi, you can tell me." I shook my head, which made Hiei sigh and fall back onto the bed.  
  
I leapt out of the bed and made my way to the closet and upon a minor search found a robe. "I'm going to go take a shower." I muttered as I made my way out the door. Hiei sighed at the same time the door closed, but I still heard him. After a bit of trial and error I found out how to work the shower and I slipped into the warm jets of water. "(Sigh) Why can't I simply have a normal life? I never wanted this, why doesn't anyone care what I want anymore?" Finishing up I turned off the water and took a towel and began to dry off. Once I was done I slipped into the light blue robe and walked out of the bathroom. With little trouble I found my way back to my room. Hiei had since left and so I was alone in the room. Becoming bored, I once again made my way to the closet to look at the clothes I could choose from.  
  
There was a black kimono with white designs, some fancy looking dress that glittered in the light with each movement, various other clothing pieces that stuffed the closet, but I didn't see anything I wanted to wear so I decided to change back into my normal everyday clothes. I was just pulling on my white over-shirt when there came a soft knock on the door. I glanced around the room. "Uh, c'mon in." I turned my back to the door as I stooped to pick up my blue glove, and that was the last thing I remembered. I blunt object hit the side of my neck and I was instantly unconscious.  
  
Ixi: Hey I'm back! Hope you liked it. Uh yeah it took a little bit to finish, but here it is! Well I have nothing else to inform you of so here are the review responses:  
  
Starkitty: I like suspense in my stories, that is why this chapter ends in a cliffie, but I swear I'm writing as fast as ideas come to my brain. And there will be more kawaii romance  
  
Miny Mars: Yay! I'm glad you like Hiei and Ixi as a pairing, I was really unsure if I was going to fluff up the story, and now when I step back and look where I'm going to go with my story I see its going to fit perfect. Easy with the baseball bat though, the trick is to start poking the person to do something. Like this (poke) Update Miny Mars (poke) (poke) (poke) (poke) Miny Mars update! (Poke) (Poke) (Hint, hint) 


	17. 16 Decisions That We Make

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Sheesh, I really don't own Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
Thoughts (insert words)   
  
Telepathic talk "(Insert words)"   
  
Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 16 Decisions that we make  
  
My eyes fluttered open and I looked around the shadowed room I found myself in. I tried to move my arm, but found it to be chained to the cold stone wall. I shivered and realized my white over-shirt was gone. Well whoever did this wants me to freeze I guess. I shivered again while testing the chain that bound me. A sinister laugh came from deep within the shadows and I looked wildly around. "Come now Ixiada-chan, in your present form there is no way you would be able to break from your bindings. That voice! It's Cyrus! The laugh continued. "Of course it's me Ixiada-chan, who else would it be?" I stuck out my tongue at him. "I'm not your 'dear' so I suggest you stop trying to imply it." I snapped, but Cyrus continued to laugh. "You know what I find ironic Ixiada-chan?" I rolled my eyes. "Oh enlighten me." I sarcastically retorted.  
  
"What fire, such a shame it was wasted in you." Cyrus muttered as he stepped from the shadows. My eyes widened at the sight. Cyrus was not as I had first seen him as, the dog demon who had dueled the dragon master Ezra, but a tall man that resembled Yoko. But Cyrus had black hair instead of silver, cold red eyes and black ears and tail. He was dressed in what resembled a thief's outfit. It was made of black clothe and leather. "Are you surprised Ixiada-chan? The first form in which you viewed me was a ruse, I had to have a non-threatening appearance for you to trust me, and now your task is done." I glared at the thought of being used by some nobody demon. Cyrus bust out laughing. "So I'm a nobody demon? How quaint. You obviously don't remember who I am Ixiada-chan." I looked at him confused, which simply proved his case.  
  
"You wished to be enlightened am I correct? Then let me illuminate your feeble mind then Celeste." I froze at the name. Celeste? Why does that name sound so familiar? And why did Cyrus call me that? "Why would I call you Celeste? Why would I call you Celeste!? You did a great job erasing your memory then if you don't even remember your own name!" The black dog demon cried, getting angrier by the second. Fortunately he was laughing again. "Well I suppose someone with your past would want it all to vanish into the murky depths of the mind in which all things are forgotten." Cyrus was smiling now. "Well Celeste, since you've forgotten who you are, let me tell you in detail." Cyrus paused to take a deep breath before he continued.  
  
"Once upon the age of the great spirits where gods and goddesses reigned, and before the fool Enma got control of the four worlds, there were two who quarreled often. One, a goddess by the name of Celeste, and the other a god by the name of Kuroi. These two fought often because of their different views on the spirits that roamed the four worlds. Celeste took the form of a dragon, while Kuroi took that of a noble wolf. Celeste mastered water in all its forms, and Kuroi tamed fire. The battles these two would experience destroyed much of the four worlds to a point where one was destroyed. Before the last battle the two would take part in, Kuroi learned of Celeste's foolishness. She had fallen in love with one from one of the worlds, and that he was waiting for her at the end of the battle. Kuroi found where he was and tortured him till he died, Celeste found them seconds before the spirit died. And let me tell you, when Kuroi kills one, he does a very through job, Kuroi had destroyed the soul of the one who had fallen in love with Celeste so the Great Spirit who reincarnated the souls of that time could not bring him back. Celeste attempted to kill Kuroi, but in her grief and hatred she failed and was killed. When she was reincarnated later on she must have preformed a memory erasing spell or something and killed herself after. Such a sad story, don't you agree?" Cyrus mockingly said as he glanced over at me. I glared at him with pure ice at his inappropriate remark. "You're a stupid son-of-a-bitch Kuroi." I spoke in a voice that was not my own.  
  
"Your heart is like your name, black." I continued, but it was not me speaking. (FYI: Kuroi means black in Japanese) "What a feisty little wench aren't you?" Cyrus/Kuroi said as I heard a metallic blade being drawn from a sheath. Smiling, Kuroi put the blade's tip to my neck and barely an inch from my skin began to mockingly cut the air as if piercing my body. "But I see no reason for such feistiness for one in your position, you must be awfully confident you can break your enchanted bonds before I am able to slice you to tiny pieces." Kuroi smiled as he scratched my neck with the blade so a thin line of blue appeared and began to run down my neck. I glared daggers at him but did nothing; there was this overwhelming presence that was swelling inside of me, threatening to take over. "Oooo, I'm soooo scared Celeste, whatcha going to do, glare at me to death?" "Why not? You're so weak I can just stare at you and you'll die." Again the voice that was not mine, spoke words I did not think.  
  
"Celeste, I was surprised by your actions with my first spy, you were always so on your toes, but he penetrated your defenses easily." I glared at him trying to think of what he was talking about. "Oh, don't remember do we? Or have you forgotten Blaze, oh sorry, I mean Kyle all too quickly?" I froze at his words. No, not Kyle, he wasn't evil, he can't be evil, he just can't! "Oh yes, Kyle as you call him was working for me the entire time. Then later as a spy disguised as your cat, Cricket you called him right? It's an amazing what the fear of death can get one to do. Come Blaze, show her!" From the darkness appeared silver haired, cat eared and tailed version of Kyle. "No." I whispered as I looked into the faint blue, lifeless eyes that were once a deep mysterious pool of dark blue. "You're sick." I said in my own words and voice to Kuroi and Blaze disappeared into the shadows once more. "You need to die a thousand painful deaths in the innermost circles of Hell, no, even that would not forgive what you've done!" Now there was no denying it, the power was surging through my very blood as my hatred for that man increased. "I'm not asking for your FORGIVENESS!" Kuroi cried as he stabbed the sword into various places on my body.  
  
Drenched in my own blood I could feel my body changing. Along my arms and legs I could feel fins with barbed points growing, a long white and blue tail with barbs down the back also appeared. "Finally, you show me your true form Celeste!" Kuroi cried as his sword's tip broke when he attempted to stab me again. "BURN IN HELL!" I cried as the shackles that bound me burst into a thousand pieces. Power was surging around me as my hair turned blue and blue triangle markings appeared on my face. "FEEL THE WRATH OF CELESTE, GODDESS OF THE DRAGONS!" To one side appeared a slivery white serpentine dragon, and to my left a winged white-blue dragon. Both turned to energy and were sent forth at amazing speeds to attack Kuroi before he could react. "THIS COULDN'T KILL ME BEFORE AND IT WON'T NOW!" That was the last I heard of Kuroi before he teleported out of danger. My two dragons returned to my side before returning to the energy I had used to create them.  
  
I looked down and saw I was in a different outfit, I was now in a torn blue dress with matching gloves. My skin was a bluish color that seemed to be thinly powdered on over my normal colored skin. The barbed fins on my arms, legs and back all had black tips that appeared poisonous. I was still cut and bleeding, but I didn't care. I could have died right then and there and be happy. That poor spirit, Kuroi destroyed his soul just to get to me. Silvery tears ran down my cheeks as I fell to my knees. Now that the danger was over my body was changing back to my human form. A fell over and lay on the cold stone floor, freezing, and waiting for death but instead heard familiar voices. "What was all that energy?" It sounded like Yusuke. "Dunno, but whatever it is we need to get there fast, I smell blood." That had to be Kurama. After a few minutes, the footsteps got closer and were finally in the room where I was. "IXI!" Several voices cried in unison. "Get away from her Urameshi!" It was Hiei. All the footsteps stopped except for one pair.  
  
My back was turned so I didn't see who it was, but whomever it was stooped down and threw a cloak over my body. I instantly felt warmer. Then whoever it was put the cloak on so I was wearing it and picked my up bridal style. "C'mon, lets go." It was Hiei. He shifted me in his arms and I slowly felt myself drift off to sleep while listening to the beating of his heart.  
  
  
  
"What happened next Auntie Ixi!?" Rayden exclaimed and Chloe nodded in agreement to the question. I put my hand to my chin and looked like I was in deep thought. "I forgets, can you two tell me?" I said in a laughing voice. "No, it's your story, you're s'pose to know what happens next!" I smiled at Chloe's point. "Alright, alright." I said putting my hands up in mock surrender. "Alright then I was where Hiei was carrying me right? Okey dokey then . . ."  
  
  
  
I lay there in darkness, silently praying I was dead, and yet hoping I was alive. My eyes opened to a dark room and I decided not to move. I was laying on something really warm and when I glanced over at what it was, I found I was using Hiei as a pillow. He was peacefully sleeping next to me with a small smile on his face. I sighed and snuggled closer to his warm body. Try as I might I could not fall back to my sleep, but not wanting to wake Hiei, I stayed where I was and took in his radiance. "So you're awake?" My eyes opened at Hiei's whisper. I nodded as I glanced down. "How are you feeling?" I sighed. "I guess I'm okay, I didn't wake you did I?" I asked him. "No, you didn't." Sighing deeply I snuggled closer to him, for some reason I felt extremely cold. Kyle, Blaze, Cricket, or whoever you are, why? I thought you loved me, I thought you would always love me, but now I see I am not allowed to love lest the one I love dies. Hiei, I'm sorry, but I can't let you die like the last one.   
  
I waited a few hours to make sure Hiei was totally asleep, and then I slid out of the bed. I tiptoed down the hall to my room and quiet as a mouse, began to stuff things into a backpack. I put all the money I had in a locked box, a few changes of clothes, some treasured stuff and a sketchbook with pencils and various other art supplies. After changing into a new set of clothes and slipping the backpack on I softly left the house and broke into a run. This is the only way no one will get hurt because of me. This was my argument to my own sub-consciousness. Sadly I felt like I was loosing to myself. Suddenly I felt like eyes were on me and I stopped to look around. A strange clicking was coming from behind a tree and I cautiously made my way over there. "Hello?" I said as I leaned over to see behind the tree. What I saw almost made me jump out of my skin.  
  
Ixi: Hey, ya know what? I'm having more cliffies lately. Oh well, enjoy and review. Because I'm lazy and rather tired right now I'm not responding to reviews for this chappie, but if your response would have been on this chappie I will respond next time. (Yawn) Ta. 


	18. 17 The Cursed Dragon's Blood Disese

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: I solemnly swear I am not Yoshihiro Togashi!  
  
Thoughts (insert words)   
  
Telepathic talk "(Insert words)"   
  
Means change from the story to Ixi, Chloe and Rayden or from the three to the story  
  
Chapter 17 The Cursed "Dragon's Blood Disese"   
  
"Hello?" I said as I leaned over to see behind the tree. What I saw almost made me jump out of my skin. It was the strangest looking creature I have ever seen. It looked like a tiny kid who had white skin, and an odd oval shaped head. (If you've ever seen Princess Mononoke, it resembles the Kodama tree spirit thingy) Its head began to turn like a spinning wheel, then with the force of its cranked neck, the head released and rocked back and forth. I backed away slightly with a shocked expression on my face. All of a sudden three more appeared out of thin air. I back even faster and turned slightly to look for a way to escape. Then a black and white streak flashed across my view and one of the white colored creatures was gone. Obviously the black and white streak was still hungry because in less than a minute it came back and took the remaining two creatures. Within minutes I was alone again, until of course, the streak came back.  
  
On two long silky black wings came something I was not expecting. A black hippogriff with a white splotch on its rump pranced lightly as it landed. (Hippogriff-Horse/eagle, like griffin but not eagle/lion. Like the one in Harry Potter 3 movie, which I saw and give two thumbs way, WAY UP!) Its long silky neck glimmered in the light that was able to get through the tree's thick branches. "Umm, thank you?" I said a little unsure of what to do. The hippogriff bowed to show it accepted my thanks or at least understood. I bowed back in form of a greeting and cautiously walked towards the glossy creature before me. I reached my hand out to pet it's neck, but preparing myself to quickly draw it back lest it get crushed in the sharp beak or slashed by the long talons. But all my concern was not necessary for the ebony creature actually pressed its body against my still distant hand. "Well you're friendly." I said lightly as I made my way up to pat its head. The creature emitted a soft clicking as I rubbed the top of its head.  
  
"So I don't deserve a goodbye Ixi?" I slowly spun around to Hiei's voice. He was standing on a branch about 20ft above me. His crimson eyes were slitted in a sad glare. "If I were to tell you goodbye, it would mean that I really wouldn't see you again, and I just . . . I didn't want you to die Hiei." I glanced to the ground in an attempt to hide my tears. "I didn't want you to get hurt because of me Hiei . . . I love you too much to let you get hurt . . ." I let my voice trail off and I heard Hiei jumped down from the branch. "What do you mean?" He asked me as he came over to me. "I am the reincarnated Goddess Celeste of the dragons, in my first life the one I loved got his soul shred to a thousand pieces when Kuroi found out. I don't want the same to happen to you Hiei." I tensed slightly as I felt Hiei draw me into his arms. I was crying uncontrollably now and my knees were about to give out if not for Hiei holding me in his embrace. "Ixi don't worry, I won't die on you because of Kuroi, I promise." Finally my legs gave out and Hiei gently set me to the ground, still wrapped up in his arms. A loud clap of thunder announced the on-coming rain, but neither of us cared we were getting soaked.  
  
"IXI, HIEI WHERE ARE YOU?" I glanced around through my tear filled eyes to the sound of Yusuke and Kuwabara yelling. The black hippogriff screeched at their on coming and opening its soaked wings, fluttered to a higher branch to view the situation. "WE'RE OVER HERE DETECTIVE!" Hiei yelled as he helped me stand up. "Pathetic, don't ask me how he got to be Spirit Detective, he is not detective material." Hiei muttered as Yusuke and Kuwabara pushed their way through some undergrowth. From another direction came Kurama and Botan, and from yet another cam Yukina and Keiko. "Ixi, are you okay?" Kurama asked as he pushed a soaked branch out of his way. I nodded timidly and huddled closer to Hiei. "You know, its funny, the weatherman said there was no chance of rain today." Keiko said as she looked up to the darkened sky. "When is the weatherman ever right though?" Kurama said quickly as he glanced over at me. Another screech from above made everyone look to the branch where the hippogriff had taken refuge. "Friend of yours Ixi?" Yusuke asked as he glanced up at the soaked creature. "Umm, it is right now." I said as I gazed up at the majestic creature.  
  
It screeched again, its long neck stretched out as if to reach over to the other trees without moving. "What is it?" I asked as I gazed in the direction it was pointing. More of those white things had appeared, but this time they had mouths open, revealing several sharp, pointy teeth. They jumped off the branch towards me and as they did they changed color to a bright red, and grew red bat wings and red horns. I screamed as they did a false kamikaze attack. As they pulled up barely inches from my head, I once again saw the black and white streak, so I knew the hippogriff was back at it. But it seemed this time the numbers were simply too great. "Hey bird thing, move out of the way." I turned to see Yusuke in a serious mode; his index finger pointed out making his hand resemble a gun. I turned back to see the hippogriff soar upward leaving several confused creatures. "REI GUN!" (Spirit Gun is another name for it) The next thing I remember was a bright flash of light and Hiei picking me up and running a distance away from the battle scene. "What exactly was that?" I said in a daze as I began blinking my eyes repeatedly so I could see properly again. "Yusuke's Rei gun." Hiei replied simply as he watched the hippogriff set down near us.  
  
"Okey doke then." I said still in my daze. I felt Hiei pick me up bridal style and I leaned up against his chest falling fast asleep. "Come." I said through a yawn and the hippogriff started off a jog with us. "Hiei . . . I'm sorry." I whispered as I fell asleep. "Don't be." He whispered back to me.  
  
The next day  
  
"IXI GET UP, PHONE CALL!" I groggily opened my eyes to Yusuke's annoying voice. I sat up wiping my eyes and on unsteady legs, got up and went to the door for the phone. "Ixi, hurry up, you need to get back to the apartment." "Huh? Why?" I asked Nymph. "The people from the agency are going to be here any time now to 'talk' to you about your school absences. So I suggest you hurry over here. I'm stalling for as long as possible. And if at all possible, use the window to get in." "Okay Nymph, I'll be right over, bye." "Bye." I quickly tossed the phone back to Yusuke and got dressed. Once dressed and ready I ran out the door to be met by Hiei and the black hippogriff. "Where are you going in such a rush?" Hiei asked and I slowed down to talk to him. "I've got to go back to my house for something, wanna come with?" Hiei nodded. "The hippogriff said his name is Rikoh and he is here to serve you." I stopped with sudden idea. "Rikoh, will you let me ride on your back? I need to get somewhere fast." Rikoh bowed and lowered himself so Hiei and me could jump on.  
  
Rikoh spread his long black wings and took off at a gallop. With one great push of his long wings we were off the ground and rising higher by the second. "We should stay out of sight." I yelled over to roar of wind to Rikoh and he beat his wings to rise higher in the air. "It's that one right there Rikoh!" I yelled as I pointed to the three-story building. "Look for an open window, Nymph will be expecting me." We circled the building once before I saw my room's open window. Rikoh beat his wings to stay in place as I got down. "Hiei go up to the roof and come to the front door so no one suspects anything, Rikoh once you take him there you can probably come back down here and rest in my room or on the roof." Rikoh nodded and was soon gone. "Mrs. Torres-Jackson, will you please wake up Ixiada, we need to get this interview done with." I instantly recognized that voice, it was Julie Harper, the lady from the orphanage. "No Ms. Harper, you're the one who scheduled this appointment so early in the morning, Ixi needs her rest, she's been extremely busy lately." "Not busy in school though." "No, something came up that required her full attention and she was unable to attend school." Go Nymph! I cried in my head.  
  
I fake yawned as I walked out my door. "Well finally you've graced us with your presence Ms. Dragona." Ms. Harper snippidly said as I took a seat on the couch. "Well if you're ready I'd like to get on with this." Ms. Harper said while tapping her toe on the wood floor. Then my salvation came through a knock on the door. "I'll get it." And there it went as Ms. Harper got up from her seat and walked to the door. "Yes, who is it?" She asked a slightly confused Hiei. I motioned behind Ms. Harper's back to 'please save me' and Hiei almost smirked. "I need to talk with Ixi ma'am." Hiei said in one of the fakest innocent tones I've heard, but since Ms. Harper didn't know what Hiei really was like she let him in. "You can once we're finished young man." "Uh Hiei, you can go and wait in my room." I said and he took his cue to tell Rikoh to come in.  
  
"Well Ms. Dragona, you have a lot of explaining to do." Ms. Harper said as she pulled out an official looking document. "You've missed 10 days of school already and you've only been there for 11. Explain why, Mrs. Torres-Jackson's excuse she sent to the school was not a valid reason." Nymph, what did you tell them? "I told them we were visiting a sick relative. Baka nigens." "Uh, we were visiting sick relatives until just recently. Then I had to get a blood test done and wait for the results to come back." "What was the blood test for?" Ms. Harper asked, clearly not believing me. "Uh to see if I had an extremely rare disese called "Dragon's Blood", it makes it so your blood turns blue all the time." "And what were the results?" Nymph hugged me in a sad way. "She has Dragon's Blood, we don't know how long she'll live." Nymph put her hands up to her face as if to stop tears, but it was really to stop from laughing. "This is serious! Is there anything anyone can do?" Ms. Harper exclaimed. I put my hands to my eyes. "No, it's so rare no one has ever made a cure." I said through a muffled sob, but inside I was trying to hold in the laughter. "And she is actually believing you two?" Hiei exclaimed in my head through a fit of laughter. Sadly yes, yes she is. "Is it a good thing, or a bad thing she is believing you?" Hiei asked. Dunno, its both sorta. Good thing she is not pursuing it, bad thing is she fell for it.   
  
"Well, I apologize Ms. Dragona. It must be very hard for you right now. If we can do anything, anything at all for you, you know our number." With a bow, Ms. Harper left and once we couldn't hear her footsteps anymore Nymph and me bust out laughing and Hiei walked out trying extremely hard not to laugh. Rikoh followed Hiei and Nymph and him were introduced and Nymph was updated. "Well that makes sense." She said once we were done. Rikoh was lying at her feet and he resembled a dog that just fell asleep at its master's feet. "Well, might as well spend a couple hours here to relax Hiei." I said as I lay out on the couch looking a lot like Rikoh. "Sure." He muttered as he took a seat on the windowsill and watched me.  
  
Ixi: Hey I'm back, and not lazy! Woo-hoo! -- Just kidding! But I will respond to reviews this time, I just got another new reviewer! Everybody do the happy dance! (Yeah, WAAAAAAAY too hyper) Review responses below. Oh yeah, FYI, I'm going to be gone again and won't be able to write, now that summer is here it will be happening a lot so bare with me here.  
  
To Miny Mars (1): Ah yes, romance : ) happiness.  
  
To QOL: Yes Hiei blushes, : ) He's my fav. Bishies too  
  
To Miny Mars (2): Yeah, tell ya the truth I just recently decided to do that in my story, don't hold your breath though. Now I command you to write your own story! :P lol 


	19. 18 Birthdays

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: What does it take to convince you people I don't own the show?  
  
A/N: Since it was becoming boring and repetitive I'm not putting the symbol meaning things up, if you are really that confused then go back to another chapter to see, but by now I'm hoping you know what , "", mean.  
  
Chapter 18 Birthdays  
  
  
  
"Okay, I think I'll skip ahead about two months in the story 'cause nothing really happened, I started training with Hiei, I was averaging about every other week in school which was still better than Yusuke's current school attendance, anything was pretty much better than his attendance. And I saw glimpses of a cat that resembled Cricket every once and a while." I took a deep breath to take a short break from my story. "And I'll start it off when I was walking through Makai with Rikoh . . ."  
  
  
  
I yawned and glanced over at Rikoh. His black and white coat was gleaming in the Makai sun as we leisurely walked through the demon world. Then, in the distance I could hear branches being hit and flinging back up. "He's late." Rikoh whispered as he acknowledged the sound as well. "Eh, doesn't matter much to me." I commented lightly as I unsheathed my katana I had been given. In less time then it took to blink I felt myself sliding back, my heels digging into the earth. I smirked and lunged forward, towards the oncoming assault. Easily dodging each katana strike I made my way close to the attacker. Some fancy footwork and a few reworkings in my original attack plan quick had my attacker under me. I knocked his katana from his hand and sat with one leg on each side of him to keep him pinned to the ground. "Now Hiei." I began in a mocking voice. "One of the first things you must know to be a skilled fighter is you must always, ALWAYS stay alert to the opponent," I took in a deep breath and began waving my katana around like a teacher's pointer as I recited the words I had heard only about fifty time while lying in the same position I had put Hiei in. I glanced down at him and saw a smirk across his face. "Since when did you become the teacher here?" he asked as I got off him and helped him up.  
  
"Dunno, thought that was your job." Once he was back on his feet and dusted off I got ready for another round. Sunlight ran down the sharp edge of my blade as I glanced across it to see Hiei. He was in a fighting stance I had not seen him take yet so I prepared myself for anything. Hiei's face was serious for the few minutes we stood in perfect silence, but when his face broke into a smirk I knew he was up to something. I blinked and when my eyes were reopened he was gone. That's not good. I thought as I tried to sense his energy to pinpoint his location. I finally found him, but it was too late, I tensed as I felt the cool metal slip into place across my neck. I smiled as I darted away before I was caught. For about half an hour we exchanged sword strikes until we were exhausted.  
  
I sprawled out on a large boulder that was near a river; Hiei was sitting on the ground with his back to the large rock. "Jeez Hiei, is there any part of me you didn't hit with your katana?" I teased. "Dunno, maybe we should go back and make sure I hit every possible-"No, no I'm fine!" I exclaimed and I heard Hiei chuckle slightly. I glanced over at Rikoh, he was knee deep in the stream, apparently looking for something. His sharp beak skimmed the surface of the water as his head moved from side to side. Then, faster than what I though he could move, Rikoh's head darted under the water and was back to the surface with a fish in the sharp eagle's beak. Rikoh trotted to the bank and dined on his meal. "Well at least I won't have to feed you for a while." I muttered and I swore Hiei laughed again. With a yawn I stretched out and sat up. "Anyone up for round two?" I mockingly asked as I leaned over and looked at Hiei. He appeared fast asleep, basking in the sun's warm rays. He really is cute when he is asleep. I whispered in my head as I slid down the rock to sit next to him. Within moments I too had fallen asleep, my head gently resting on Hiei's shoulder.  
  
I opened my eyes a little while later and saw Hiei had wrapped his arms around my waist. I shifted slightly to look at him and saw he was smiling. A genuine smile, something I'm not sure I had ever seen on his face. Smiling to myself I settled back down into his arms and closed my eyes. Unfortunately I didn't fall back asleep. "Awe, look at the cute couple." Wait, Kuwabara? "Man, where's a camera when you need one?" Yusuke? "Shut up Yusuke." Keiko? What the? "Think we should wake them?" Kuwabara once again spoke. "Let them sleep, more than likely they just got done training." Kurama said and I heard something being set down near me. "Well good afternoon sleeping beauty." Mocked Kuwabara, so Hiei must have woken up. The warm pressure around my waist let up so Hiei must have let go. I shifted slightly before opening my eyes. No one had noticed I had woken up, except for Kurama, but he didn't say anything. In fact he was smiling as he gazed past me and it took me a second to realize what had happened. Hiei had gotten up and whacked Kuwabara. I put a hand over my mouth so no one would hear me laughing. I heard some stones crunching and I knew someone was coming over to me to sit down. "Hiei, I think you went overboard with Ixi's training." Botan's giggly voice commented. She must think I'm still asleep! "Hn." I heard the person next to me mutter.  
  
I finally decided to be awake, so I stretched up while yawning and looked around. "Lo, elo." I mumbled as I leaned up against the large rock. Everybody was here. Yusuke, Keiko, Kurama, Botan, Kuwabara, Yukina, Genkai, Puu, even Koenma was here. "Why is everybody here?" I asked, slightly confused. "We're having a picnic!" Botan exclaimed as she hosted up a picnic basket. "Oh-kay?" I said, "any special occasion I should know about?" I glanced over at the faces and saw Yukina blushing slightly. "It's my birthday." She meekly said as she helped set up the blankets. "Oh . . ." Shoot, and I don't even have a present of anything. Last to know for everything. I could feel myself beginning to blush in embarrassment. "You didn't know?" Kurama asked as he noticed my flushed face and I shook my head no. "It's okay Ixi." Yukina said with a smile. "But still, I feel really bad for not knowing." "Hey, when is your birthday Ixi? I don't think you've ever told us." Kurama said to change the subject slightly. "Uh, what's today?" "June 18." "Really? Well, I will be turning a year older as of two days ago."  
  
"What? Two days ago?" Everybody seemed to exclaim at the same time. With a sweatdrop I nodded with a sheepish smile. "So how old are you?" "Umm, good question, 1, 2, 3 . . ." "You don't know your own age!?" "Heh, heh. Well, I've never really cared at my birthday. It's just who I am I guess. Let's see now, I'm 17!" "And you're still in junior high?" I blushed at that remark. "Hey its not my fault, one of the psycho couples I was placed in with around 2nd grade thought I wasn't doing my best and got me sent back a couple grades." "Couples you were placed in with?" I froze when Yusuke asked that. Oh no! I never told them about being a foster kid! "You're a foster kid?" Kurama asked curiously and I found myself getting mad. "Yes, do you want to make something of it?" I snapped while glaring at the redhead. "No Ixi, that's not what I meant-Ixi wait! Where are you going?" I ignored him as I stormed off.  
  
I broke into a run after trees hid me. I heard a soft rustle of wings and saw Rikoh soaring above me. He seemed to understand I wanted to be alone because he didn't land for a while. And when he did, he was not close. Before I knew where I was going I found myself at a sparkling stream. But that seemed the only thing sparkling because there were few trees that were alive around it. "Void river." I whispered as I neared its banks. I knelt down at its banks. Something had caught my attention. A small plant had begun to grow near the waters. "Well, maybe there is hope for this river after all." A snap of a twig startled me to turn around. Hiei was standing alone, higher on the bank's top. "So this is where you went." He whispered as he slowly slid down the bank to me.  
  
"You know Ixi, everyone is really worried about you." Hiei started as he glanced to the plant I was still kneeling at. "Yeah right." I muttered as I stood up and started back up the bank. "They really are, you ran off all by yourself into a place that's overflowing with dangers." I snorted at his comment. "Why would they be worried about me?" I icily said as I sped up so Hiei couldn't follow me. "They are worried about you because they are your friends Ixi." I glanced over at Hiei; his eyes told me he was telling the truth. I stopped and hung my head. How could I have doubted they cared about me? I suddenly felt warm as Hiei drew me into his arms. "Shhhh, its okay." He brushed something away on my cheek and I realized I had started to cry. I couldn't take it anymore, I let everything go and the tears ran down my cheeks. My knees gave out and Hiei lowered me slowly to the ground as he began to gently rock me back and forth. I cried on his shoulder, everything that had weighed down on me over my life just seemed to vanish. "Why do I screw everything up Hiei? Why?" I choked through my tears. "You haven't screwed anything up, and don't let anyone tell you that you have." I smiled slightly as I let the warmth Hiei emitted wash over me. It was strange, no matter how hot or cold it was, whenever I got near Hiei I felt perfect.  
  
With Rikoh's screeching cry Hiei and me were refocused. "What the?" I asked as we ran to the origin of the cry. "RIKOH!" I cried as I ran. The hippogriff screeched again and I could hear other footsteps joining ours. Everyone who had come to the picnic was running close to Hiei and me. We came to a clearing and saw Rikoh in an aggressive stance, bleeding from a few scrapes. I gazed around at the winds picked up, making the long grasses flow like water. Then, everything stopped. No wind, no sounds, no movement of any kind other than from the people in the clearing. This is when I knew something was wrong. "Something's coming." I whispered as I felt a strange force coming from all sides.  
  
Ixi: Jeez, I'm back one second and gone the next. -- But writing as fast as possible. Okay goin' right into it cause I came back and there was a bunch of reviews. Review responses below.  
  
To Phoenix-of-Fire: I'm glad you like it so much, and I remember your review from my newest story, and I'm typing as fast as I can don't worry. : )  
  
To Miny Mars: Yep, Rikoh is pretty, Now stop reading my story and work on your own (What am I saying? O.O)  
  
To both of QOL's reviews: (1) Yeah, I really got away from the humor in Ch. 17 so I made up for it. (2) And yes I am aware of the Neopet named Ixi, in fact I just created an Ixi a little while ago, if anyone cares my account is flaminkitsune, if anyone has an account on Neopets and you leave your account I'll put you as a neofriend. : )  
  
Ixi: Chow for now! 


	20. 19 The Penguin Army

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Disclaimers: Never have, nor ever will own Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
Chapter 19 The Penguin Army  
  
We stood backs in, faces out, in a circle, waiting for something to happen. And something did happen. We were standing in this field with long grass, and with a strange rustling sound, all the grass began to wither and die, within seconds the lush field was reduced to a barren wasteland. Then the rustling grew louder; small mounds began to form in the dirt around us, growing larger and larger. The sandy bubbles popped and we were surrounded by . . . penguins? A number to rival an army. "Is anyone else freaked out by this?" I said as I blankly stared at the gawking birds.  
  
"They're sand demons!" Kurama exclaimed as he dodged something I couldn't see. The next second, a long whip, resembling a rose had appeared in his hands and he slashed out at some of the penguins that had come a few feet closer. When the thorny whip sliced through the birds they turned to piles of sand and seconds later reformed back to penguins. "I have a feeling that isn't a good thing." I muttered as I slashed at some of the strange creatures with my katana, and as with Kurama, they reformed seconds later. What's with the rose whip thingy? (Ixi only knows Hiei, Nymph and Spook are demons, she is also unaware of Yusuke's and Kuwabara's spirit abilities at this point in time.) A forceful push from Hiei sent me into battle mode. "Move Ixi!" He cried as a wall of sand came crashing down on the spot I was just at. "Heh, heh, whoops!" I said sheepishly as I slashed out a few penguins behind me. Whatever we do, they just keep popping right back up!! Ugh, what did that science teacher say about sand again? I know it would be helpful here!! Why do I always forget the actually useful stuff those people teach us!?! . . . Something about glass? Glass, glass, what was it!?!   
  
I was forced from my thoughts, as I had to slash a few more penguin shaped demons. Well one thing about glass, these guys would be a lot easier to kill!! "Ixi behind you!" Hiei cried, but it was too late, the solid wall of sand hit me square in the back and squashed me between it and the ground. I felt the power inside me rising. "GET OFF!!" I screamed as I did a strange version of the push-up, which really hurt my back. I could feel the power rushing through my veins now as the very blood in my body. "C'mon Celeste, please tell me you can do better than this, I mean they are only sand demons." "SHUT UP KUROI!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD YOU STUPID SON-OF-A----!" I was cut off by another wall of sand ramming me into the ground, and then I had it, how to defeat the sand demons. That's it! Sand turns into glass when it's heated to a certain temperature! Now we just need something really hot! . . . Could Hiei do it? No, too much of a strain on him attacking all of these demons, but maybe I could . . . I slashed my way out of the second sandwiching I had gotten into.  
  
I'm gunna need Rikoh to get me into position though . . . lets just hope he's not too injured to fly! I scanned the battlefield in time to see Yusuke launch a huge glowing sphere from his index finger. Whoa, what was that? I glanced over at Kuwabara fighting; he had an orange glowing sword that he was using to fight. So there is more to them than what they were telling me. Then I saw Rikoh; he had just taken flight to dodge an attack. I put my fingers to my mouth and whistled for him, he immediately responded to my call. Dodging several attempts to stop him, Rikoh was soon coming down near me. I jumped on his glossy black back just as a sand demon lunged for my leg. It scratched me, but I quickly signaled Rikoh up to dodge the second assault.  
  
I stopped the assent at about a hundred feet above the battle. "Rikoh, you have to listen to me. You must stay balanced and in about the same spot. I'm counting on you to do this for me." Rikoh turned his head so I could see one side of his face. He solemnly nodded to me to show he understood what I needed of him. With that as my reassurance I closed my eyes and focused on what was required of me. I put my hands in a special position, my index, pinky and thumb fingers were touching their pair and straight up, my middle and ring fingers were folded down. "Dragons of the ages I call you to hear my cry! I, Celeste, Ancient Goddess of Old request all with mastery of Fire to assist me in my plight. Lend me your power so others may be saved." Then I could hear the responses of all those I had reached. "A goddess of old!" "Celeste! I will serve you my lady!" And they continued.  
  
I felt their power inside of me, rising up along with my own. I opened my eyes and saw I had transformed into my Celeste form. I knew what had to be done, and what could happen to me if I did it. The long glove on my left arm slid down easily, revealing the blue dragon, but now it had red flames surrounding it. "I hope this works, please let it work! DRAGON OF ALL FLAMES!" I screamed against the winds that had picked up around me. Then what I had wanted came true; a silvery blue flaming dragon erupted from my hand.  
  
It soared to the battlefield, quickly joined by a black dragon. "Hiei's dragon?" I said though a daze. The dragons pulled up without touching the battlefield, circling around each other, almost . . . dancing with each other. "Please work, please!" As if on cue the dragons took a dive to the ground, separating from their mystic dance. Everything within a ten-mile radius was engulfed in the black and sliver semi-sphere. In the next seconds the lights vanished, revealing a glass plain, except for the spot where the gang was. Then I lost my balance on Rikoh and free fell to the ground. Rikoh tried to get to me, but I was falling too fast. "Well, it worked . . ." I whispered as I closed my eyes due to the high winds. I slowly began to change to my normal form and before I hit I was normal again.  
  
But I never hit the ground. Someone made a flying leap, and caught me before I got hurt. I painfully opened my eyes to see my rescuer. Hiei glanced worriedly down at me before going into a focus that he would need to land. "Ixi? Ixi say something, open your eyes, something, anything, show me you're gunna be okay!" Hiei cried as he stopped the speed he had been moving at to land. "Ixi!" I heard everyone cry, and then I heard several footsteps coming towards me. "Stay back, give her room!" Hiei snapped as he shifted me in his arms. "Hiei?" I began weakly. "Yes, what is it?" He asked me worriedly. "If I ever try that again, stop me." I forced myself to chuckle slightly, which put me in pain, but it made Hiei relax slightly. I knew he started to say something, but I blacked out before I heard what he had to say.  
  
I opened my eyes a while later, how long I had been out I had yet to find out. I was in a room that looked like it was from Genkai's Temple, but not one I had seen. "Well, finally you're awake. You would think two weeks would overdue the beauty sleep excuse." I turned in the bed I was in and saw Kurama with a tray of empty dishes in his hands. "You're joking, two weeks!?!" I exclaimed, sitting up in shock, which I soon regretted due to pain through my entire body. "Yes, two weeks, and Hiei hasn't left your side for more than a few minutes at a time." "Hiei . . .?" I said as I glanced around the room, sure enough, there was Hiei, sleeping on a futon like couch. "Yes, Hiei has stayed by your side, and glared everyone else away except for me because I come in when he I sleeping to check on you." Kurama smiled as he sat on the corner of my bed, but he wasn't looking straight at me. Then I realized instead of a wearing a shirt, I was tightly bandaged. I immediately pulled the cover up to my shoulders, blushing madly.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm not like that." Kurama muttered as he now looked at me. "That's good, or else your new fashion might be two nice shiners over each eye." Kurama put his hands up in mock surrender. "Oh please don't hurt me." He mockingly said. I spied an apple within my reach and aimed for the back of his head as he was leaving. Inches from his head, he put his hand to the back of his head and caught it. "Well if you wanted an apple you should have said something." "Kurama I have something to ask you." I said serious. Kurama stopped and turned around. "Yes?" He asked. "What was with the whip thingy and the orange sword Kuwabara had and the weird ball of light Yusuke was using?" "I'll tell you later." "One more thing Kurama." "What?" He said truly curious. "I'm still asleep. I want Hiei to at least think he was the first to see me awake." Kurama nodded understandingly and quietly left the room. I snuggled back into my sheets and closed my eyes, waiting for some sign that Hiei was awake.  
  
I didn't have to wait that long, in half an hour tops, I heard Hiei get off the futon and stretch as he walked around the room. He settled on the corner of my bed, and I felt his hand gently run down my cheek. I took it as my cue and fluttered open my eyes. I sleepily looked up at him. "Hey." I said weakly as I shifted to see him better. Hiei instantly froze in shock. "You're, you're awake!?!" He said while shaking slightly. "Uh, last time I checked." I gave him a big smile to reassure him. I was trying so hard not to laugh, it was like he couldn't decide whether to totally break down in happiness, or just sit there with a smile, or something else, so I chose for him. I sat up and threw my arms around him. He fell back slightly with the shock of my weight, but held me close to him.  
  
Tears fell down my cheeks as I leaned back. Hiei was smiling, trying to hold his composure and tough guy act. "I almost lost hope you would wake up." He admitted with a down glance. I smiled, and before he could say another word, pressed my lips to his and closed my eyes. But you didn't . . . I said quietly in my head as I got lost in the kiss. I broke the kiss to see Hiei's face. He was smiling, a faint dreamy look flashing in and out of his crimson eyes. "Thank you." I said letting my smile get bigger. "But now you must do something for me." I said tauntingly. "What's that?" Hiei asked with a smile. "You have to go and get me a t-shirt and sweatpants from my room so I can show everyone else I'm alive." Hiei smirked. "Why ever would you want to do that? That's a good look for you." Hiei darted from the room, and along the way dodged the pillows I was throwing at him.  
  
Ixi: Yay!! I got to include the Penguin Army!! : P No don't run away from me! I won't hurt you! Besides, I got a treat for you, my fans. You can see a pic I drew of Celeste; well actually it was my first RPG character design of Ixi, but it works as Celeste too. So go to my author profile thingy and click the link I'll put in there. Review responses below.  
  
To Miny Mars: Thank you, if you love what you are writing it'll be great (Seriously, this story is so fun to write) now go work on your story, whether it stinks or not : ) (Don't worry, my first story probably confused more people than I thought I ever could --; 


	21. 20 Unexpected Messenger

Me and the Penguin Army  
  
Ixi: YAY!!! I'm back ppl! Several weeks off does a writer good, lots of ideas and stuff : ) So on with the story!  
  
Disclaimers: Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, like I haven't said this for the past 19 chappies, O.O 19? Already? Wow . . .  
  
Chapter 20 Unexpected Messenger  
  
With the combined healing powers of Kurama, Botan, Yukina and Nymph I was in bed for two days, tops. I was currently watching the scenery turn slowly from city to country, the window rolled down as far as it goes, wind whipping my hair around and my blue baggy shirt I had adopted due to the lingering burn marks I was told I received after I passed out when my dragon returned to me. The marks would leave eventually, but I hate gawkers. Hiei was sitting in the backseat with me, watching me with a smile. I smirked back at him and asked for the hundredth time, "are we there yet?" Where were we going you ask? Well it seems Nymph and Spook are ready to adopt another kid, and we're going to talk to her, but she practically lives at a stable out in the country. After hearing "no" for the hundredth-and-one time I sighed and went back to staring out the window. "Why did you ask me to come with you again??" Hiei asked telepathically. Because, I neither want to be alone or bored while I'm there . . . Nymph said she is about a year older than me . . . she is almost ready to be able to go out on her own . . . dunno why they're bothering. I heard Hiei's chuckle ring lightly in my head and I smiled.  
  
After what seemed like eternity, we finally pulled into a beautifully little stable and was cheerfully greeted by the owner of the barn, Lisa Adraina. She led us through a maze of stalls and doors to a small area where a girl was lining up to jump her glossy black horse. Lisa put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. "Oi Aunna . . . get off that horse for once in your life, Mr. and Mrs. Torres-Jackson are hear to talk to you!" I covered my ears as Lisa hollered to the rider and the rider waved to show she heard. Cantering her horse around all the jumps the pair would have done earlier, the rider rode up to the gate where we stood and dismounted. Handing the reins to Lisa while she removed her helmet we began to walk to the stables again. Great . . . more walking! I complained and I heard Hiei chuckle in my head. I lightly punched him in the shoulder, much to the surprised look from Aunna.  
  
We stopped at a crosstie and while she un-tacked her horse Jezebel; Aunna spoke to Spook and Nymph. I leaned up against a horse's stall door next to Hiei and thought about everything Kurama had attempted to explain to me yesterday. He was trying to explain about Yusuke, Kuwabara and his powers. I more or less got the concept, but it took four or five times to explain it to me. I found out Kurama and Yoko was one and the same, and Kuwabara and Yusuke were Spirit Detectives who work for Koenma. And they had super cool powers and stuff like that. "Oh hello there Miss ryuu youkai." Came an extremely cheerful voice in my head. Oro? I asked to figure out who was speaking to me. "Behind you." Came a laughing reply and I turned around, all I saw was a horse. Uh youkai? I questioned and the horse threw its head up and down like it was saying yes. Oh, okay then . . . what is someone like you doing here? The dapple- gray horse stuck its head out the window of its stall and smiled at me through its crystal blue eyes. "Hey this is the life, exercise, treats, brushing, little kids etc... Why wouldn't I be here?" I chuckled at his reply and scratched his forelock between the ears. I think you just want to be spoiled. "Sorry to interrupt your little conversation Ixi, but I have to be somewhere right now." Hiei whispered as he began to walk towards the door. "Where are you going?" I asked. "I promised Kurama to help him with something." I waved to him as he disappeared out the door and sighed.  
  
"Hey Comet, ready for the trails today?" Asked a little girl walking up to the stall of the dapple-gray I was just talking to. Your name is Comet? I asked. "No, not really, my real name is Eli, but try telling them that." I smiled and watched him get led out of his stall and down the alleyway. As I watched on I saw a small white cat, perfectly poised, staring at me. Its blue eyes flashed red for a second and I knew who it was. Blaze scampered down the hallway to the door, showing me that he wanted me to follow him. I rolled my eyes and followed. Well, at least if I'm jumped I can practice some of my recently learned moves. After a short hike into the woods the small cat stopped. He turned to face me as he transformed into his human/demon form. His white tail flicked slightly as we stood in deafening silence. "You obviously have something important to tell me, so I suggest you speak now or you might not have a mouth to do so." I said harshly as I broke the silence.  
  
Blaze nodded his head. "That is true, there is something I want to tell you." "So get on with it already." I said impatiently. "That friend of yours, Hiei was it? Is in danger." I looked disbelieving to the neko before me. "Kuroi has him targeted, I don't know when exactly, but . . ." Blaze trailed off and glanced at me, he had turned sideways during this so he had to look from the corner of his eyes to see me. "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you a bad guy or something?" Blaze bowed his head in shame. "I only agreed to help Kuroi because he threatened my younger sister. He said if I didn't help him, he would kill her. My life is not on the priority list right now. All I want is to get Jynx away from him." I glared at Blaze, unsure whether to trust him or not. "Ixi . . . just so you know, when you and me . . . well, were . . . Kuroi was controlling my body . . . I was little more than a spectator." Blaze gave me one last glance before turning into a white tiger and cantering deep into the forest. Kuroi was acting through him? Hmm, I wonder . . . I shook the thoughts from my head and sprinted back to the barn.  
  
I searched several places for Nymph and Spook, and after I was out of breath I found them. "Uh I have to go, but it was great meeting you Aunna." I said with a wave goodbye. "Do you need a ride?" Spook asked me. "No, Rikoh is giving me a ride." I said as I ran outside and into the forest where I contacted Rikoh telepathically. Within a few minutes the glossy hippogriff was soaring into view. His sleek black wings cutting through the air like diver through water. "Welcome to Hippogriff Air, where may we take you today?" I started to giggle as I hopped on Rikoh's back. "To Genkai's Temple." I said through my laughter. Taking off in a gallop, we were soon in the air. I closed my eyes and let the wind blow in my face. I loved flying, it let me feel so . . . so, free.  
  
After a short flight, Rikoh was descending to the earth and I held on to the black leather collar that was studded with silver that I had given Rikoh. We landed in Kurama's section of the garden, all his roses were in full bloom. I had never seen roses so big, nor in such a variety of colors. I gently reached out to touch a nearby silvery colored one. "Wow, it's so beautiful!" I exclaimed as my fingers brushed the soft petals. "Like you." Came a soft voice from behind me and I felt Hiei's hand gently run down my cheek. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I smirked as he picked me up bridal style. "What, can't I walk up to my room by myself?" I asked in mock annoyance. "Nope." Hiei said with a smirk as he jumped into a nearby tree. He sat me on his lap and loosely wrapped his arms around my waist. I gently settled my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, trying to hide my worry for him.  
  
"What's wrong?" Hiei asked after a second or two of silence. "Nothing." I lied and snuggled deeper into his arms. "Stay here, I have something for you." Hiei said quickly as he got up and set my comfortably on the branch. He disappeared and I saw him reappear close to the door of the temple. _"That friend of yours, Hiei . . . Is in_ _danger."_ I sighed as Blaze's words echoed through my head. "Stop lying to me Ixi, something is wrong . . . tell me . . . or don't you trust me?" I jumped at Hiei's voice right next to me. I looked into his crimson orbs, and saw his were searching mine, as mine were searching his. "Hiei, I do trust you . . . I just don't want you looking for trouble . . ." I trailed off and glanced to the ground. "Then I won't . . . Here this is for you." I glanced up as Hiei handed me something draped in a black cloth.  
  
I glanced up at him uncertainly before gingerly taking the cloth off, revealing a katana. The black sheath had a silver dragon etched in detail, down to the very last scale. The handle was finely made with gray and black materials I couldn't quite place. I pulled the blade from the sheath and saw on the dull edge of the katana was a blue dragon similar to the one on the sheath. "I want you to have it . . . It's called the Chiisai-Ryu, it'll protect you . . . it was specially designed for Dragons and Dragon wielders . . . I uh, relieved it from Koenma." Hiei smirked, and I smiled a thank you before catching Hiei off guard with a kiss to his unsuspecting lips.  
  
And what a moment to be ruined by a cell phone's ring, and yet it did. I sighed as I broke the kiss to answer the phone. "Hello?" I asked and was surprised that Aunna replied. "Hiya Ixi, Just calling to say Nymph wants you home like five minutes ago!" I rolled my eyes and mentally sighed. "Okay tell her I'll be there as of three minutes ago." Dammit, and it was just getting good too! I looked up and saw Hiei looking at me expectantly. "Sorry, rain-check?" Hiei nodded reluctantly. "Want a ride?" I nodded and smiled as Hiei picked me up. Within seconds we were soaring to the ground, and within minutes we were standing outside the entrance to the apartment building. "Wanna come in?" I asked and Hiei shrugged, and I took that as a yes.  
  
Two minutes and lost breath later I pounced on Hiei as he stood mockingly at the top of the stairs. "That's the last time I race you!" I exclaimed as I pinned him to the ground. Hiei smirked from the position he was in. "What's so funny?" I asked. "This!" Hiei exclaimed as he twisted from under me and pinned me under him. "Oh har har, you're such a riot! Now off!" I exclaimed sarcastically. "Nah, I rather enjoy the view from here." I smirked at his comment. "I bet you do baka oni!" Hiei smirked and placed a kiss on now my unsuspecting lips. Hiei pulled back, leaving me breathless and in a daze, so I didn't quite comprehend when Hiei got off me and helped me to my feet. He helped me walk to the door, even though I was now capable to do it by myself.  
  
I opened the door, but Hiei didn't follow me in. "Sorry Ixi, I still have to help Kurama, so this is where I leave you." I nodded then remembered something. "Hey Hiei, can you ask Kurama to find all the information on a black wolf/dog demon who goes by the name Kuroi or Cyrus?" Hiei looked at me confused but nodded. "Okay, see you late Ixi." "Bye." I said half-heartedly. "I'M HOME!" I exclaimed at I paraded through the door into the kitchen. "Ixiada Dannia Dragona where have you been!" Uh-oh full name threats, I'm dead . . . "What's the big emergency?" I asked as I walked into the living room, where the voices were coming from. "Well for one you've kept Koenma-sama waiting for half an hour!" "Baby-breath is here?" I asked as I snagged an apple before walking all the way into the living room. "That's Koenma to you Ixi." I jumped as I saw a teenager sitting in the living room. "Where's Koenma? You his big bro or something?" I asked as I stared at the teen.  
  
"To my knowledge, Koenma doesn't have a big brother and I would know because I'm am he!" -anime sweatdrop- "Oh . . . right . . . I knew that!" I said sheepishly as I stretched out next to Aunna. She currently had a confused look on the whole situation. "Soooo?" I asked waiting to be told why I was here. "The Penguins, what do you know about them?" Koenma asked. "Penguins?" Aunna asked confused, and about to laugh. I glanced uneasily to her. "Uh, gang who works for Kuroi, Kuroi claims to be a wolf demon god thingy whatever, really the Sand gang, only Fire has been able to stop them . . . I believe their look is for intimidation only . . . uh I think that's it." I cleverly disguised the run down to be like I was talking about local gangs or something. Very clever, or at least I thought. Koenma nodded in understanding before getting up to leave. "I'll keep in contact with you, and Ixi . . ." "Yes I asked unsure. "Tell Hiei there are plenty of stores in the mall to spoil you with instead of the vault at REIKAI!" I put a hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh and nodded.  
  
"Okay now that that's over who wants to play a game or something!?!" Nymph said in a way too peppy voice. "Ugh, Nymph, less like Botan please!" I exclaimed and made my way to my room. I caught Nymph's smirk before mock slamming my door. "What's her problem?" I heard Aunna asked and I shook my head in disbelief. "Oh nothing, she just doesn't like Koenma very much." Understatement of the year there Nymph! I exclaimed to no one in my head. "Ixi sweetie, come and join us!" Nymph called from the other room and I sighed and came out of my room, examining my new katana. The scream from Aunna was priceless! "Relax child, I'm not a psycho murder or anything, jeez!" I shook my head in mock disbelief and took a seat next to the still freaking out Aunna. "Relax Aunna, Ixi trains in sword play and whatnot, she isn't gunna kill us, she is just taking care of her sword." Nymph's words seemed to calm Aunna down a bit, but not much.  
  
Hey Nymph, didn't you mention something to me about Aunna being demon? I asked my foster parent telepathically. "Yes, I believe a neko of some sort. Why do you ask?" I sighed and slowly ran the blade into the sheath. 'Cause she doesn't act like one, or have a demon aura. Nymph smiled as she took the sword from my hands. "She is a unaware." I watched Nymph run her hands up and down the sheath's engravings. Oh . . . I see. Nymph smiled and handed the sword back to me. Aunna glanced at both of us, unsure of what we were doing. "So what are we playing?" I asked cheerfully. "Anyone up for Rummy?" Spook asked and everybody agreed.  
  
A few hours later, after we had played to 500 at least twenty times I was about to declare my win when I heard a desperate pounding on our door. I sighed and put my cards face down and darted to the door. The sight before me was one of my worst nightmares. Hiei practically crashed upon me when I opened the door. He was batter and bloody and dark marks resembling bruises were everywhere. "HIEI!" I cried as I caught him and myself before we both fell to the floor. "NYMPH HELP!" I cried and I could hear Nymph jump up from the couch and dart into the kitchen, along with Spook and Aunna. "Oh my GOD!" Aunna screamed as she watched Nymph and me carry Hiei over to the couch as Spook ran for bandages and towels. "Should I call 911 or something!?!" Aunna cried about to run to the phone. "No, we can take care of him Aunna." I harshly snapped and Aunna stopped as she was reaching for the phone. "But, he's so badly hurt!" I snatched the supplies from Spook as he returned. "Yeah, but it would be too much trouble calling paramedics." Aunna glanced at me suspiciously before helping.  
  
A short while later I was in the bathroom washing the blood from my hands. I heard the phone ring once . . . twice . . . three times before I heard someone pick it up and say hello. "Ixi, it's for you!" Aunna cried as I slowly walked from the bathroom. "Says his name is Kurama." I grabbed the phone from her and I heard her whisper something about the voice sounding kawaii. Rolling my eyes I said hello. "Ixi!?! Is Hiei there?" "Yes." I muttered. "Is he okay?" "He'll be fine." A short pause rang heavily in the air. "Ixi, are you okay? You don't sound that great." Kurama said worriedly. "I'm peachy, thank you for calling Kurama, goodbye." "Ixi wai-" The ringing dial tone cut him off as I pushed the button that disconnects the call. I don't know why I was so angry, maybe because I knew Kuroi had something to do with it, or I just couldn't prevent it, but I just wasn't going to let anyone in right now.  
  
I slowly walked back into the living room after putting the phone away and stop near Hiei. He looked like he was sleeping. Away from Aunna's watchful eye Nymph had been healing most of the worst gashes, but there was still a few that remained. "All we need now is to wake him up . . ." Nymph trailed off with a smile on her face. I smirked, realizing what she was implying. I knelt down near Hiei's head and once my lips touched his those crimson orbs snapped open. "She who steals kisses, are you?" Hiei asked tauntingly. "But of course." I said in a very James Bond like accent. Hiei smirked at my sarcasm and sat up slightly. "Careful!" I exclaimed as he groaned in pain. "I'm fine." "Why hello Fine, I'm not convinced." Hiei and I exchanged death glares before I almost lost mine to a snicker of laughter. "Well Not Convinced, I would have sworn your name was Ixi." I smiled and before he could say another word our lips met.  
  
"Okay the both of you, rest!" Nymph said in fake sternness. "And everyone else too!" Nymph banished everyone to their rooms with her invisible sword of death and I helped Hiei into my room. I helped him into my bed and I grabbed a few extra sheets before getting re-banished to my room with the invisible sword of death. "Ah, oh ow!" I exclaimed, pretending to be struck by a sword several times and falling to the ground in slow-mo. I made Hiei comfy on my bed and was about to set up a bed on the floor when Hiei grabbed my arm and pulled me into my bed. (Authoress: -takes out invisible sword of death- AWAY, AWAY HENTAI PEOPLE! NOT LIKE THAT!) I smirked and settled next him so I was facing him. We stared into each other's eyes for a while, each searching for a nameless object neither could find.  
  
I eventually got bored and snuggled next his warm body. He began to run his fingers through my silvery white hair and I felt myself relax. After a while he stopped, and tilted my head back to see why. The reason was obvious, he was fast asleep. So peaceful, not at all like his usual facial expression. He was such a different person when he slept. I smiled and shifted so I was more comfortable. Hiei . . . My thoughts drifted off into my dreams.  
  
---Dream---  
  
I looked around; everything had bluish mistiness to it. I looked down and saw I was wearing a silky blue sleeveless dress that came down to my knees. My hair was done up and a bun with some sparse bangs hanging in my eyes. I wore long blue boots with a three-inch heel that came to the middle of my forelegs. "Wow!" I exclaimed as I took in everything around me. "You can say that again . . ." I spun around and saw . . .  
  
Ixi: MWAHAHAHAH ebil cliffie! –Grows little devil horns- But hey, since its been a LONG time since I've been able to update I made it extra long! –Angel wings and halo replace devil horns- But, I am lazy and for the review responses all I will say is THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oooo, oh yeah, I want you people to guess who it is in the dream! So put it in your review and I'll tell you who it really is in the next chappie. 


	22. 21 The Beginning of the End and the End ...

Me and the Penguin Army

Disclaimer: I own nothing ;-;

A/N: Because I just saw Yu Yu Hakusho Poltergeist Report (And bought it on DVD) I have decided to give you two chapters at once, unfortunately they are rather sad chappies.

Chapter 21 The End to a Beginning and a Beginning to an End

"Wow!" I exclaimed as I took in everything around me. "You can say that again . . ." I spun around and saw . . . none other than Blaze. I glared at him as he walked towards me gazing in awe at the surroundings. He was in a black sleeveless shirt and khaki baggy pants. His silvery blonde bangs hung over his eyes, so I was unsure of what he was planning. "What do you want Blaze?" I asked harshly and Blaze stopped walking, but turned so he was sideways. "You wanted info on Kuroi right? A fox can only get so far . . ." I glared at Blaze, but felt worry for Kurama. Blaze must have sensed this because of what he said next. "Don't worry, he's not in any danger . . . but he won't get much information." I jumped as a folder of papers came flying towards me and landed with a loud clap near my feet. "As for me, I know all." Blaze said in a sarcastic self-empowering tone. "That's everything, including stuff about your former selves."

"Now you have to go meet someone." And with those words Blaze vanished. I picked up the folder and flipped through it, skimming the text and drawings. Wow, Blaze is really sticking his neck out for me, isn't he? Does guilt do that to a person? Is it guilt, or is it something bigger . . .? I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "I just hope I'll have this info when I wake up." I said as I placed the folder on the floor. "Blaze was right, I do feel like I have to meet someone here." I whispered as I began to wander through the dream. "Ixi? What are you doing in my dream?" I turned around to see Hiei. "Your dream? I thought this was my dream!" I exclaimed as I rushed over to him. "Is it your dream?" Hiei asked as I slowed down to meet him. "I don't know." I said as I looked over Hiei.

Here he wasn't injured at all, and he was in a yellow baggy shirt and dark blue baggy pants. "Wow, it's Hiei in color!" I sarcastically said with a smirk and I saw Hiei blush a little. "Ya know, yellow looks good on you." I said as I did a little circle around him as if examining him like a fashion expert. (It really does, I gots a few pics of him with this outfit on and he is sooo kawaii! :P ) This only made the blush on his cheeks deepen. "Wow, lots of color." I said as I tapped his nose. "Hn." He muttered and glanced away rubbing his nose. I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck. "Whatcha lookin' at?" I asked softly. Hiei didn't answer; he was attempting to ignore me. I made a pouting face and pulled back. "Fine, be that way." I snapped and began to walk off.

"Ixi . . ." I paused, waiting for Hiei to continue. "Yes?" I asked without turning back. "Do you . . . do you love me?" I froze before spinning around. "W-what?" I asked unsure I heard him correctly. Hiei caught my gaze, and for what seemed like eternity no sound was made. "Do you, or do you not love me?" Hiei asked again and I felt my arms tremble slightly. "I-I . . . I don't know Hiei . . ." I hung my head, unsure of what to do. I glanced up, Hiei hadn't moved. I felt my body shaking slightly. I looked at my trembling hand and saw it was starting to go see-through. I glanced back up at Hiei before everything went black and I woke up.

---End of Dream---

I sat up quickly, my breath short and quick. Before I would let Hiei wake up I slid out of bed and grabbed a set of clothes. Quiet as a mouse I crept into the bathroom and changed from my pajamas to the clothes I had picked. I threw the dirty clothes in the laundry basket and scribbled a quick note before slipping out the door. I jogged up the stairs to the roof and let the cool early morning air clear my head before looking down at something in my hands I didn't realize I had picked up. One was the Chiisai-Ryu and the other was the folder of stuff from Blaze. I sat on the edge of the roof and set the katana next to me and opened the folder.

After reading a few pages I was horrified and intrigued at the same time at what I had learn. "So Kuroi really wanted . . ." I trailed off seeing no reason to say what I already knew. I sighed deeply and flipped through the rest of the pages. "All this for something like that . . . Kuroi what have we done!?!" In my heart I blamed myself as much as I blamed Kuroi. "All this for my love!?! Kuroi, you and me, we're monsters, aren't we?" "You're not a monster Ixi." I turned slowly around and saw Hiei gazing at me with a sad and yet happy look in his crimson eyes. "You're wrong Hiei, I am, I'm just as much to blame for what has happened as Kuroi himself." I heard Hiei's footsteps come slowly towards me and I couldn't stop it. He sat down next to me without saying a word and picked up the folder, idly flipping through it like an uninteresting novel. I watched him in silence. "Hiei, do-do you love me?" I asked quietly, unsure.

Hiei either didn't hear me or was ignoring me because he didn't act like he heard the question. He stopped a few seconds later and put the folder down. "I do, but I won't force you to love me in return." With that he stood up and vanished. "Thank you Hiei." I whispered and followed suit. "Just stay safe for me Hiei." I murmured before closing my eyes. I focused my spirit energy and felt a wind rise around me. I summoned the Chiisai-Ryu to my hand and strapped it to the back of my pants before transforming my body into one of a small winged dragon that was little bigger than an eagle. I opened my bat-like wings and soared off the building. Hmm, now if I were a psycho wolf demon god, where would I hide a little neko? Since Blaze helped me I'll help him. 

Then an extremely sick feeling over took me. Like someone close to me suddenly disappeared. Oh God, HIEI! I screamed in my thoughts. I desperately began to link my mind and his. "Dammit, it's usually a piece of cake!" "MWHAHAHAHA, your little boyfriend is unable to come to the telepathic link right now, please leave a message at the beep. Beep." I clenched my fangs in anger. Kuroi, you bastard, you touch him and I will kill you! Kuroi's menacing laugh echoed through my head for a while as I desperately tried to find Hiei. I slashed open a portal to Makai and tried to focus in on Hiei energy. "Dammit Hiei, you promised me!"

Once through the portal to Makai I became a much larger version of the winged dragon I already was. My bat like wings beat on each side of me as I hovered in the air trying to focus on either Kuroi's, or Hiei's energy. I let out an earth-shattering roar in frustration. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks; it was the place where the first one I loved died, there was a place all most identical to it in Makai. I growled before soaring off in that direction. As I neared the location, both Kuroi's and a small bit of Hiei's energy could be felt. About a mile away a transformed into my human form and free fell to the ground, landing like a cat. "Come OUT!" I cried as I glared to a large tree. Several penguins appeared. Dammit, I don't have time for this! I took out my sword and let flames enter its blade. But before I could strike, three was felled and turning to glass. "Ixi, go! I'll take care of them!" I watched as Blaze appeared in his tiger form, a strange blue green fire erupting around his legs.

I nodded and felt myself being picked up. "Rikoh?" I asked, surprised. The glossy hippogriff nodded and I climbed on his back. Flying low in the trees made the going slow, but this way we would not be spotted by Kuroi until we were there. Slowing to a halt about twenty feet away I softly slid off the feathered back of Rikoh. "Okay boy, stay here unless I call you." Rikoh nodded and settled down in the protected area beneath some tree's roots. Here he could watch to make sure I was okay, and still stay hidden. "Good boy." I whispered and quietly jumped into a tree and began to hop from branch to branch until I had a good view of the area.

What I saw will horrify me for the rest of my life. Hiei was chained to a tree by his wrists. He was about a foot off of the ground and he looked like he was unconscious. His head was bowed, and there was blood everywhere. Then I saw him; Kuroi was looking proud at his work as he examined a blood-coated blade. I could see him saying something to Hiei, but I was still too far away to hear it. But I could swear I heard my name being mentioned along with my other name Celeste. And apparently Hiei wasn't unconscious, because he lifted up his head and glared at Kuroi while saying something. And it must have made Kuroi furious because the wolf demon jumped up to the tree and whispered something in Hiei's ear while stabbing the already blood drenched blade into Hiei's shoulder.

Hiei winced slightly, but due to his pride, wasn't going to let Kuroi have the advantage. Hiei said something else while Kuroi was sauntering which made the wolf demon chuck the dagger at Hiei. Fortunately it missed him and sunk its blade deep into the wood next to Hiei's left shoulder. And Hiei, being Hiei, couldn't resist saying what appeared to be, "You missed" in a rather taunting way. Okay, I need a plan. I have to make sure Hiei won't get involved in the battle, and hurt further, he may not act like it, but he has lost a lot of blood. I let my eyes wander over the open field. C'mon, c'mon! Think girl, think! That's it! I smirked at my idea before glaring at Kuroi. One thing is for certain, when this is over one of us will be dead Kuroi, and I have a feeling that one won't be coming back anytime soon. With that in mind I jumped down from the tree and sauntered into the clearing.

"Here doggie, doggie, doggie. Here boy." I said mockingly as I glared at Kuroi. Kuroi turned around with a devilish smile on his face. "Ah, the dragon of the hour. Celeste." I rolled my eyes at his macho show-off-y-ness. "Sorry, there is no Celeste here, only Ixi." I snapped and pulled the Chiisai-Ryu from its sheath. Kuroi smiled and took his own sword from its sheath as well. "Whoever wins this doesn't matter, but only one will walk away with their life." Kuroi smirked at my challenge. "Fine, suits me." With that we took our fighting positions and began a stare down, waiting to see who would make the first move. A chill wind blew around us, stirring up the loose leaves and other dead plants.

I took one glance over to Hiei's injured form, and I knew I wasn't going to let Kuroi live. And with a clash of hardened steel later, I think Kuroi knew that too.

Ixi: Well there you go, the final showdown between Ixi and Kuroi. Only a few more chappies, how many I'm not quite sure yet, but the story's drawing to a close. Review responses below. (Two new reviewers YAY!! : ) I feel so loved. )

To QOL (both of them): Thank you for likin the story so much : )

To Melanie-Chan: I'm glad that you like the story, and that you reviewed. Kurama's awesome too. : )

To melody89: It's okay you're a slow reader, and I'm utterly flattered your friend thought my story should be made into a book.

BTW: Don't forget to go to my homepage and check out the pic, and when you're there say hi on the tag board. Thank you Sami for being the first! Enjoy!


	23. 22 Final Battle?

Me and the Penguin Army

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho nor the lyrics for Whiskey Lullaby By Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss which is a very hauntingly beautiful song.  
  
Chapter 22 Final battle

_  
(She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette  
She broke his heart he spent his whole life tryin' to forget)_

"Auntie Ixi, Hiei isn't gunna die is he!?!" Chloe exclaimed in a worried tone. I half closed my eyes. "Both fighters knew only one would walk away, the other wouldn't allow them to live . . .

_  
(We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time  
But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind)_

My body shook in rage as Kuroi felt the urge to explain, in detail, what he had done to Hiei up to the point that I came in to the scene. All I could see in my mind was Hiei, dying because of me, my past.

_  
(Until the night  
He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger  
And finally drank away her memory)_

I saw that smirk on Kuroi's face and I knew I was going to cut it off of his face if necessary. With all my strength I pushed my sword forward and made Kuroi take a step back. We glared at each other for a second before he lunged at me. "If I can't have you, no one will Celeste!" Kuroi cried out in fury. "I am not an object you can claim beast!" I screamed as Kuroi pulled out a small knife and stabbed it into my shoulder.

_  
(Life is short but this time it was bigger  
Than the strength he had to get up off his knees)_

I fell to my knees in agony. "You know Celeste, you were always a miss-matched demon. Personality like fire, though you commanded the docile water. Maybe that's why we're destined for one another!" I glared into the eyes of the beast before me; he had the psycho craving in them. "No other shall interfere!" He screamed, and in a blur, Kuroi had spun around and hurled the small knife straight at Hiei. It hit him just under his left shoulder. Hiei tensed up in pain before his body went limp.

_  
(We found him with his face down in the pillow  
With a note that said I'll love her till I die)_

That was it, that one blow to Hiei's heart made me loose control. I let my body change into its demoniac form. The fins on my back, arms and legs all appeared. My clothes changed to the torn blue dress and the long blue tail, spiked with barbs also came. (Remember that you can see a pic of Celeste if you go to my homepage, Thanks Sami for being the first to tag.) "Ah, Celeste, how good of you to come." Kuroi said in a mocking tone.

_  
(And when we buried him beneath the willow  
The angels sang a whiskey lullaby)_

"Silence you monster!" Celeste's strong voice commanded respect and immediate obedience. Kuroi had a look of terror in his eyes. I took a firm grip on the hilt of the sword, so tight that the pointed edge dug into my hand, causing blue blood to run down the blade. "You have no right here!"_  
  
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)  
_

Then the rains came. Pouring down as if trying to wash away what had already been done, in the present and in the past. But I knew it was no use, even if Hiei survived he would never be the same, and it would be my entire fault. Yet another death, all because Kuroi wanted my love.

_  
(The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herself  
For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath)_

Then all the memories of my former selves flooded back into my mind, each stained by someone else's pain and blood. And each stab of pain and each drop of blood was my fault. My fault . . .

_  
(She finally drank her pain away a little at a time  
But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind)_

But whether my fault or not I had to leave the past behind me. Too much rode on the present to dwell on the past. I glared up at Kuroi. I knew he would die, but even his blood could not bring them back. The countless thousands on the fourth world we destroyed in one of our battles, to the first one that loved me. Whether Kuroi ha destroyed their body or their soul, he and me had done evil beyond words.

_  
(Until the night  
She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger_

_And finally drank away his memory)_

I squeezed the hilt tighter in my hand and charged Kuroi. He charged me as well, we both knew only one would walk away from this last attack; it was the final battle. Around my sword were all the energies of every dragon willing to help, and the light from the combined energies was blinding. But when I glanced to Kuroi's weapon I saw none. No one was going to help him, not even those who worked for him to do his dirty work.

_  
(Life is short but this time it was bigger  
Than the strength she had to get up off her knees)_

But even without the added energy, when the swords clashed, both were sent sailing backwards, more than likely mortally wounded. Relying on my sword for support I watched as the small-injured form of a black dog bolted from the battlefield. "Kuroi, it is not yet over!" I whispered hoarsely. With that I ran over to Hiei's limp form as fast as I was able. "Please, please be alive!" I cried as I went up to him. He was, but just barely. "Rikoh!" I screamed and the black hippogriff was at my side in seconds. He had a few wounds along his body. "Penguins." He muttered telepathically.

_  
(We found her with her face down in the pillow  
Clinging to his picture for dear life)_

"Take Hiei back to the Temple as fast as you possibly can." I said as I wedged the blade of the sword between the chain and the tree and pulled back with my remaining strength. It snapped after a few seconds of effort. I picked Hiei up, his body light, and gently laid him on the hippogriff's back so he would not fall during flight. "What about you?" Rikoh asked as I back slowly. "You can only take one of us. Be good for them until I come back, okay?" I was fighting back tears now. Rikoh nodded solemnly. "Ixi, you're not coming back are you?" Rikoh asked slowly.

_  
(We laid her next to him beneath the willow  
While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby)_

"Just tell Hiei . . . don't wait for me . . ." Rikoh nodded sadly, slowly beating his long wings until he rose into the air. I watched until their black form vanished into the distance.  
  
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)

"Auntie Ixi, Hiei isn't gunna die right? He's gunna be okay right? Cause he's tough . . . right?" I closed my eyes slowly to Rayden's questions. "You're just going to have to listen to the end . . . C'mon, we can finish the story while we walk to the nest, the rain's stopped." I led the two kids outside, to well-beaten path that led deep into the forest.

_(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)_

I transformed myself into a silvery serpentine dragon and soared through the sky as my blue blood ran out my wounds. The only thought on my mind then was to find Kuroi and kill him. The rain had stopped now.

_(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)_

Then the loss of blood over took me and I fell from the sky. I blacked out before I hit the ground so I wasn't quite sure where I landed. All I know is I lie there for a great amount of time . . . there was much I had to come to terms with.

_(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)  
_

But when I did awaken I knew that Kuroi had better be running for his life as I rested. There are many reasons you don't anger a dragon.

Ixi: ;-; I cant believe I did a chapter that sad. Well . . . _  
_


	24. 23 Russian Roulette and Final Conclusion...

Me and the Penguin Army

Disclaimer: Mesa no own Yu Yu Hakusho

Chapter 23 Russian Roulette and Final Conclusions

I painfully opened my eyes and looked around. V-void river? I asked no one in my head. I heard some giggling noises a few feet upriver from where I was, and I slowly moved my heavy serpentine body to see what was laughing. Then I noticed all my wounds were bandaged. I peered past a bush and saw two large otter-like creatures sliding down the muddy bank of the Void River. When either of them would splash into the water and get the other wet, they both would start laughing. One of them turned their head and I sheepishly slunk back behind the bush. My long silvery body though, was obviously not meant to be hidden well, for the two both waddled over to me. "Lo, elo draggie!" One cried out in a small boy's voice. "Yes, yes, lo, elo." Piped in a little girl's innocent voice coming from the other otter creature.

I stared completely dumbfounded at the two. They neither feared me nor ignored me. Hmm, strange kids. I slowly transformed into my human form and sat down on the bank of the river. "Wow, the draggie be a drake!" The little girl exclaimed as both kids turned into their human forms. "And a mighty pretty one at that!" Chirped the little boy. I almost couldn't stop myself from busting out in laughter. I smiled. "So who do we have here?" I asked. "Me name's Niku, and me sis's name is Aura." I smiled again. "I'm Ixi." The kids smiled at me. "She even has a pretty name sis!" Niku whispered loudly to his sister, which sent them both into a giggling fit. I shook my head trying not to laugh. A faint, yet menacing howling filled the air, and I was snapped from my happy fantasy to cold hard reality.

Kuroi was still out there, I wasn't able to kill him, and Hiei . . . Hiei could be dead, I couldn't be sure. "Miss Ixi, what is it?" I jumped as Aura asked me the question. "Nothing, just something I must take care of. Have fun kids." I said with a wave as I transformed into a winged dragon and took off. "Wow, she can turn into a bunch of draggies! She must be a royal or somethin'!" My long wings beat on either side of me as I made my way to Nigenkai. To kill Kuroi I would need Spook's help; he had exactly what I needed.

I paused a second in the story to climb over a fallen log, and to help Chloe and Rayden over it too. (Remember they're walking through the woods now.) I lifted Rayden over the log and set him next to his sister, but paused before letting go. I could hear tree branches snapping up and down as someone jumped through them, this wasn't what caught my attention, it was the fact there were two different trails of it, each in a different direction, and one was extremely close. Hmm, could he be following us too? Wonder how long he's been around here . . .? I shook my head and let the closer sound fade from my mind. He knows the rules, I just hope he is in a complying mood. Men . . . I shook my head in disbelieve before starting again. "Well a few hours later . . ."

I was standing on the edge of a field. Kuroi was standing in the center facing me. He looked in pretty bad shape, but hey I wasn't one to talk. I pulled out my weapon of choice, a simple pistol. I cocked open the wheel (the place for the bullets that spins around) Kuroi and I were about ten feet away from each other, and he was watching with interest to what I was doing. "You plan to fight me with a bullet-less gun Celeste? Has the loss of blood gone to your head?" I smirked and pulled out a single bullet from my pocket and placed it in a random hole of the wheel. "Are you familiar with the game "Russian Roulette" Kuroi?" I paused, I could tell he was familiar with it, but decided to tell him anyway. "It's a stunt in which a person spins the cylinder or wheel of a revolver loaded with one bullet, aims the muzzle at his head and pulls the trigger. If he's lucky he comes out with a great story and a his life, if he's not so lucky . . . well you get the picture."

I glanced up at Kuroi to make sure he was taking this all in. He had a look on his face that said 'so what's this have to do with us?'. "Well lets play." I said daringly. Kuroi looked shocked at first but recovered and simply glared at me. "Well actually, lets rephrase that shall we? I'm going to play, and you'll watch." I smirked with confidence, but Kuroi looked confused. "I heard human bullets don't effect demons in any serious way, so I upped the betting pool. Straight from a demon hunter's personal stock. Now these babies pack a punch, and I hear its not a pretty sight to see a demon die by its hand. Sounds like fun huh?" Kuroi glared at me confused. "See here's how we'll play the game. I start spinning the wheel of the revolver and when I decide to slam it back into the gun I'll fire." "So why kill yourself? I thought you wanted revenge after I killed your little lover." I smiled wickedly. "You'll soon see how to play the game. Just stand there and watch for now."

I spun the wheel round and round, Kuroi's eyes watching it nervously. The wheel began to slow so I spun it again. "The black wolf demon, longed for the dragon demon with a passion. He destroyed souls and worlds with little remorse, his eyes were blind unless to look at the seductress dragon. But the dragon was just as much to blame as the wolf, for she refused his love, for she knew it wasn't real. He longed for her only because of her beauty. The dragon found one who loved her truly and deeply and she was looking forward to a long happy life with him, but the jealous little wolf couldn't stand to see someone else holding the dragon's heart. He loathed them with a passion, and killed the one the dragon loved, letting her see his final breaths before shattering his soul. Such a sad existence, wouldn't you agree?" I asked as I stopped the wheel.

The bullet was at the opposite end of the wheel, so if I were to fire it I would be unharmed. "Lucky huh?" I asked teasingly. Kuroi glared at me in rage. "Back to the story, seeing her lover destroyed down to his very soul enraged the dragon and deeply scarred her heart . . . so she took her life, not like the stories say, they say the wolf killed the dragon out of spite, but you wouldn't do that, would you? You long for my heart too much to kill me. Lifetime after lifetime came and went for the dragon, each ending in pain and misery due to the wolf. Until the time she was reincarnated as the girl you see before you. And now Kuroi, I will take my shot." I slammed the wheel back into the revolver before it could stop spinning. I placed it to my head. "Oh and Kuroi, one last word of advice . . ." Kuroi glanced at me suspiciously. "What's that?" He asked. "Never gamble with your life without an ace up your sleeve!" In one fluid movement I reached behind me and grabbed a second gun.

Each of the six shots still echo in my memory. Kuroi fell down dead, the bullet's effect already over taking his flesh. Within second he was nothing but dust. I looked sadly down to my first gun. "Well it's over . . . I guess . . ." I put the barrel of the gun to my head and pulled the trigger. I heard a faint click, but not the explosion like noise that came with the firing of a bullet. I pulled the gun from my head and gazed over it. "Guess your just one luck baka onna huh?" I spun around to see Hiei, or was it? Hiei was standing behind me, but the fact that he was see-through told me he was just an illusion. But illusion or no, his face made me feel better, if only a little. "Yes one lucky baka baka (stupid idiot), Hiei, I'm scared now . . . it makes me sound like Kuwabara." The image of Hiei smiled slightly before disappearing. I straightened out my arm and fired the gun into a nearby tree. The resulting splintering wood told me I was a lucky fool indeed.

I smiled and almost fell over laughing. "Well one problem, er two problems solved. Kuroi dead, Void River fixed. Now, the remaining one . . . to see if Hiei still lo- . . ." I cut myself off. No way, I don't have a snowball's chance in hell; he can't still love me . . . can he? I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "No, not a snowball's chance in hell . . ." I transformed into a winged dragon and took off for Void river, there was much to be done there.

A few hours later, the otter kids and me stood at the flowering banks of Void. "I hear-by christen this river Flame River, it shall be known by the name Void no-more. Let it be known!" I cried as I tossed a bouquet of the river's flowers into the crystal waters. "In memory of all that was lost and all that has yet to be gained, let it be known!" I cried again, desperately trying to keep the tears from falling. The kids sensed this saddened me, but they knew to let me deal with it alone. They too tossed flowers into the river, I had found out they were orphans because their parents had been killed earlier. I offered to stay with them and they readily agreed. Staying in my human form, two bat-like wings appeared on my back and I let them take me high into the air.

After a while of flying I landed gently near the cave next to Flame River, we decided we would make it our home, and we already had it very cozy and beautiful. The kids still were out playing, and I paid it no mind, they were free to come and go as they pleased, as was I. I turned into a winged dragon and settled down for the night, even though the sun had yet to set, this day had been hard on me and I needed rest. A few hours later I heard the kids come into the cave. "Careful, mind his arm!" Aura whispered fiercely. "I know, I know, you mind his leg Aura!" Niku exclaimed, yet kept it to a whisper. "Do you think he'll be okay?" Aura asked worried in a whisper as I heard them drag something near me. "If Ixi looks after him yeah, I heard dragons have wicked healing powers!" Explained Niku, yet through all of this they kept it to a whisper. Healing powers? Yeah right . . . how can I have wicked healing powers if I can't heal my own broken heart!?! I exclaimed in my head.

"Ixi-chan, Ixi-chan!" Aura exclaimed as she poked my side. I opened my eyes sleepily and pretended I didn't know what was going on. "What!?! What!?! What's wrong!?!" I exclaimed still in dragon form. "We found him by Flame's banks, he looks really hurt and he was unconscious when we found him! You've gotta help him!" I sighed and turned my head to see who it was. I froze . . . an unconscious Blaze met my eyes. Baka neko, what have you gotten yourself into now? I asked worriedly in my head with a sigh. I turned to my human form and took him from Niku. Blaze's silvery blue eyes fluttered open and looked to me with a dazed expression. "Wha happened to the flying goldfish mommy?" Blaze asked with a slight slur to his voice. I gently tapped him on the head. "Blaze, stop being a baka." I muttered and he snapped into alertness.

"What? Where, where am I? Ixi? Where did Jynx go?" I put a hand over his mouth and he stopped asking questions. "Just relax neko, who is Jynx?" I removed my hand so he could answer. "Jynx is my little sister, I got her away from Kuroi, but we got separated." I started healing some of his major wounds while listening to his account of trying to rescue his sister. He was surprised when I told him Kuroi was dead.

I stopped in the middle of the path, reaching our destination. "Auntie Ixi, what happened next?" Chloe asked as she looked up to the trees. I sighed deeply, with a hidden pang of sadness. "That part of the story is still being written, you will have to wait to find out." I said as I glanced up to the trees too. "Until then though, there is someone I want you to met, although I'm sure you'll recognize him in an instant. Stop hiding in the trees neko!" I called into a tree behind me and Blaze jumped from the trees smiling. "Daddy!?!" Rayden and Chloe exclaimed as they ran to their demonized father. "Yep, you didn't recognize me from the story?" Blaze asked through laughter. "Hey does this make us demons too?" Rayden asked watching his dad's tail and ears twitch. "Yep, full blooded nekos." Blaze said with a smile as he hugged his kids. "Thanks ryuu, I'll take them home from here." I nodded and started to walk off as Blaze got pelted with questions from his kids.

After a short jaunt I leaned against a tree and closed my eyes, sighing. "You know that's not exactly how the story happened Ixi." I smiled bittersweet-ly. "I know, but there are some parts, even I do not believe." I said without opening my eyes. "Just don't forget the rules Hiei." I whispered sadly and I heard a familiar Hn from above me. "Damn the rules Ixi!" Hiei exclaimed angrily. (Don't worry you'll find out about this in a little bit.) I sighed again, trying not to let the tears fall from my eyes as I remembered that day.

_**-Flashback-**_

_**It wasn't too soon after I got Blaze back on his feet. He had hinted that a shadow was darting around Makai in search of something, and I knew it was Hiei. I had made up my mind to go and talk to him, to see how he was, and to see if it was still possible between us. I got a lead on his whereabouts and had taken off in that direction, running the entire way because it was only a short ways away from where I was. Unfortunately I was sidetracked. A strange snake appeared in my path, and before I could react it launched itself at me. It hit me in-between the eyes and I blacked out. A little while later Hiei had found me and was attempting to wake me up. I almost wish I had never awoken, for the very second I laid eyes on Hiei my whole body filled with pain and my eyes bled. Hiei had the same reaction as myself. It was the same way with the entire gang. I couldn't even lay eyes on Kuwabara (even though I didn't really want to). Koenma later found out I had been cursed by the snake. Unfortunately the cure for the curse was unknown.**_

_**-End Flashback- **_

I sighed again as tears streamed down my face, it had been five years, but it still hurt like it was yesterday. "Koenma said he may have another lead on how to break the curse. He's not sure, but it looks promising. Don't give up hope just yet." I nodded, even though I knew Hiei didn't see it. He and the gang were affected as well by the curse. So caught up in my thoughts I jumped as Hiei tossed down a folder. "If you have the urge to hunt down someone there are a few cases there for you to do. The nekos said you were getting bored." I smiled weakly and picked up the folder, leafing through it. Blaze, Aunna and Jynx (Blaze's little sister) worked for Koenma, so I was always in touch with the Reikai Tantei, I just couldn't see them, but meetings like the one I was currently having with Hiei were allowed.

"Oh and by the way, there is a surprise back at your garden." And with that Hiei was gone, his presence no longer around me. Another penguin statue I bet. I smiled and headed back to my house. But not before looking at the base of the tree. There were five black gems. I tenderly picked the up. They are getting fewer each time; maybe he's finally starting to give up hope. He should have a while ago. He is suffering because of me. He should give up on me and find someone else's heart to call his own . . . I trailed off from my thoughts and let the black gems fall into the jar I was keeping them in. I had many, though lately the numbers that fell were fewer. I sighed again and looked out to my garden as I opened the sliding glass door and walked out to the deck. The roses were in bloom now. Their sweet sent filled the air and my eyes glanced over the garden to see a new statue near the roses. It was one of the penguins from the Field of Frozen Time, or at least that's what we decided to call the field with the glassified penguin army.

I had several throughout my garden and home. Each molded into a different position. The newest had an old fashioned metal watering can in one flipper-like-wing and looked like it was watering the roses. Every so often Hiei would bring one that him and Kurama would make. The most elaborate was the fountain in the middle of the garden. "Is it possible? Is this lead gunna bring back results?" I asked myself, almost too scared to say it. No, we've tried so much, and nothing had worked . . . So what do we do now? I suppose I could forget . . . just let it all fade to darkness, but it's too late, isn't it? I sat down on the edge of the porch and let my feet dangle off the side. I was in a world without hope, unable to fade to black nothingness and incapable to break free. But Hiei's hope gave me some, but would it be enough? I had no way to tell, but as I said, this part of the story was still being written, and the final outcome could surprise me, I just had to see it to the end.

The End, or is it?

**PLEASE READ THIS!! **

Ixi: Yes well to answer that question it's the end of this story, but the beginning of a new one. In a little while I'll be coming out with a short sequel that has Ixi and Hiei breaking the curse. If you have any questions regarding the story leave it in your review, and I'll have an extra update to answer it or I might just answer them in the beginning of the Sequel. But now I must figure out a tittle for the Sequel, if you have any suggestions please put them in a review. Until then Ja ne!

Review responses below

To melody89: Thanks, and I really don't care if you spell stuff wrong, heck if I didn't have spell check you might not be able to understand what I write lol

To Miny Mars: I know they were sad, probably the saddest stuff I've ever written. Yes the story is done with now, but there is still a sequel. I wish it could never end –cries- but I want you to update your story soon. Pease?


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